The Queens Birthday Honours list paid tribute to a number of those working on the creative and technical sides of the arts and entertainment industry. Theatre director, and more latterly Oscar-winning film director, Sam Mendes was rewarded with a CBE for his services to drama. Two of the principal talents behind the Dome were also honoured; Timothy Gardom, responsible for the content of the body and faith zones, becomes an MBE, while Mark Fisher receives an OBE for his work as creative director of the Millennium Show staged in the Dome's central arena. Vivien Duffield, a director of the Royal Opera House for 14 years who is credited with raising £100m for the recent £214m refurbishment, was awarded a DBE, whilst Neil Bartlett, artistic director of the Lyric Hammersmith, and Derek Deane, artistic director of the English National Ballet both received OBEs.

PSL has announced the signing of a seven-year contract with ExCel, the new London International Exhibition Centre, which makes the company the preferred onsite AV and presentation equipment supplier. PSL will acquire approximately 20,000sq.ft of office and warehouse space onsite, within one of the existing warehouses on the ExCel site for the storage of their AV and presentation hire equipment. In addition, the company has negotiated two additional storage areas - within the Northern and Southern breakout/seminar rooms - allowing them to be the only AV company to service these areas. PSL estimates that it will hold around £1million of state-of-the-art equipment onsite.

Martin Pro's MiniMAC won the Best of Lightfair 2000 award from Design Journal magazine recently - the latest in a string of awards for the product. In the past month it has also picked up the Lightfair Innovator award and the inaugural Roeder Award. It also won last year's LDI Award for Lighting Product of the Year/Architecture and more recently the Best New Product of the Year Award at the Electricity and Lighting Show in Montreal.

For their recent headline UK tour, Toploader augmented their live set with an on-stage Tascam DA-98 digital multitrack and RC-898 remote control. Controlled by drummer Rob Green, the Tascam recorder is used to bring some of the studio-recorded strings and percussion from the Album - Onka's Big Moka - into the live performance. The band also brought in a second rig of four DA-88 digital multitracks to record some of the gigs.

Marquee Audio has announced the formation of a new division, which will operate under the supervision of co-director Mark Brown. Marquee Installations aims to respond to increasing retail sector requirements. Brown's roster of licensed-trade contractor clients, which included many of the UK's leading breweries, restaurants and independents, had previously been homogenised into Marquee's general work portfolio, but he now believes he can give greater focus to expanding the business. Marquee Installations will offer a complete turnkey service, combining audio, lighting and visual display integration.

PSL has set up a new audio division, and pledged a multi-million pound investment in a new hire fleet. The bulk of the equipment will be purchased through Marquee Audio, while other suppliers will include LMC, SES, Total Audio Solutions, VDC, Kelsey Acoustics, d&b audiotechnic and Shuttlesound. Gil Rabinowitz (pictured) was brought in to configure an inventory which the company believes will make them competitive in their own right, at the same time offering a resource that will enable the remainder of the Gearhouse Group to quote turnkey packages to conference and exhibition clients.

Lighting effects manufacturer Ryger Electronics has announced a management re-shuffle. Matthew Cano, who has been test engineer for four years, takes over the role of production manager from Andrew Eastwood who after nine years in the role, moves up to the position of general manager.

Over 40 Tannoy speakers have been used in a popular city town bar and nightclub in Burnley, Lancashire after a recent refurbishment by Liverpool-based Orritt Electronic Services Ltd. Bass-owned bar Sidewalk 53 and nightclub City 53 have benefited from extensive remodelling in line with Bass Leisure Retail Channel policy, and as a result, Sidewalk 53 was recently ranked in the top 10 UK CTB's according to FHM. The bar features eight Tannoy i12 Dual Concentric speakers, four B400 bass cabinets and a couple of TX2 controllers in conjunction with Ecler amplification, and a Cloud CX335 compressor limiter and mixer. The larger roomfeatures eight Tannoy i12 Dual Concentric speakers with two B400 bass and two B950 sub-bass units. Ecler amplification and Cloud crossovers complete the larger room. The smaller room uses 10 T12 full-range speakers; two B950s with Tannoy TX2 controllers are also installed along with Ecler amplification, Cloud Cx and Citronic graphics.

Vari-Lite inc has recently signed a dealer agreement which bolsters the company's presence in the Florida market. Miami-based Stage Equipment & Lighting, with offices in Orlando and Tampa, will now offer the new Vari*Lite Series 2000 line of automated luminaires in Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Rick Rudolph, Stage Equipment & Lighting's vice-president, told L&SI: "This relationship with Vari-Lite will broaden the tool base that we can present to lighting designers who work in this area. It's a wonderfull opportunity for both ourselves and the lighting designers we work with."

LG Electronics of Korea has launched its first TV integrating NXT SurfaceSound loudspeaker technology. The LG Platon CN-29Q3 TV features motorised NXT panels on each side, which are operated via the remote control handset. The unit can be used with the panels folded in at 45 degrees or fully out. The company's new product strategy is centred around its digital technology and features next generation display devices as its core product group. LGE plans to build Digital LG as its premier brand image and is making preparations to take the centre stage in representing the cutting-edge electronics industry in the new millennium.

Julie Meadows, health and safety officer of Unusual Rigging in Bugbrooke, has received the prestigious British Safety Council Diploma in Safety Management in an awards ceremony in London. Meadows was among 19 safety professional who were presented with their awards.Sir Neville Purvis, Director General of the British Safety council commented: "Good safety is good business and can save firms hundreds of thousands of pounds. In achieving the Diploma in Safety Management, Julie Meadows has shown a commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace. Proper training for people at all levels of a company is vital, as accidents and illnesses at work cost this country up to £18 billion every year."

The long-running stand-off between Vari-Lite International and Martin Professional has come to something of a temporary conclusion following the affirmation by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of an injunction issued by the United States District Court on September 2, 1999 against Martin Gruppen A/S and Martin Professional A/S. As we've reported previously, the injunction prohibits Martin from manufacturing, selling or hiring the Martin MAC 600s, MAC 500s and MAC 300s, and also extends to the Case series controller when sold in conjunction with any of the MAC units. Martin had already appealed against the decision in a separate hearing when it filed a motion asking the District Court to lift the injunction in July 2000, the date when Martin claimed the patent would expire. The Court rejected Martin's claim and ruled that the patent held by Vari-Lite did not expire until March 2001.

Total Structures Inc has recently produced a unique tensioned fabric structure for general contractor Fabric Structures, based on an original concept by architects FTL Happold. What made this different from the many other rooftops produced by the company this year was its shape and proportions. As our picture shows, it is a ridged, contoured ellipse, supported on only two towers and measuring 70ft wide and 63ft deep. It was engineered to carry 7,000lbs of sound equipment and 1,000lbs of lights for the Summerstage series in New York's Central Park.

PLASA's annual AGM took place at The Belfry Hotel near Birmingham on June 15th, attended by around 60 representatives of member companies. PLASA Chairman Mick Hannaford reported on a successful year for the Association which had seen key advances in the range of services and initiatives offered to members. He also covered the Association's review of its Code of Ethics, outlining the way in which a Code of Business Ethics and an Appeals Procedure might be implemented. It is a move the Association has been wishing to make for some time and will give PLASA more direct powers to act in the interests of all the members by dealing with companies who fail to meet certain standards. Afterwards, the Members voted in favour of adopting the Code.PLASA Treasurer Sammy de Havilland then outlined the financial position of the Association noting that it had reached its reserve targets and was now in a strong position to drive new initiatives forward. Following the AGM, PLASA MD Matthew Griffiths gave a brief presentation on the future of the Association. He talked first about the PLASA Show and how successful the Exhibitor Forum had been in influencing its shape and format. He also highlighted the introduction of a number of new features for the Show this year, including a new technology showcase. Matthew then referred to one of the key projects PLASA is pursuing this year – that of qualitative and quantitative Industry Research on which subject he handed the floor over to facilitator Phil Pratt who explained to members the rationale behind the Industry Research programme. During th

The first worldwide public outing of the PRG/LSD Medusa (Icon M) takes place this weekend (the 24/25th June) at the Skyscapes building adjacent to the Millennium Dome. The light, which has been undergoing some fine-tuning since its launch last year, will make its debut at the Bollywoods - the Indian Film Awards.

Stage Electrics has confirmed the opening date of its new London Branch as 7 August, but to ensure that its new WYSIWYG facility and Virtual Lighting Studio is operational in the meantime, the company has taken temporary accommodation at 81 Oxford Street. David Stewart, formerly with Lightfusion, has joined Stage Electrics as studio manager and will operate from the London branch. During the last six years, he has been involved with designing and operating at such venues as Frankfurt Music Messe, Montreaux Jazz Festival and the Filmfare awards in Bombay. London branch: 07836 231868

ARX has been awarded the contract to supply the power amplifier requirements for the new Museum Victoria Project in Melbourne, Australia. The first stage of the installation is the delivery of 15 of the new ZA 600 six-channel power amplifiers, a total of 90 amplifier channels, providing over 11kW of output for the various themed areas and soundscapes. Further stages of the development are also based on ZA 600 power amplifiers.

VDC Trading has released its 2000-2001 product directory, featuring the copany's full range range of pro audio, video and broadcast cabling systems. The world-renowned Van Damme range of cables are prominently featured as are over 5000 other cabling and connector solutions, from custom-built stage boxes and metal work, racks and multicore looms. VDC hs also added further product lines to this year's directory which include 2U, 16-32amp mains distros, all rack mountable and in two colours.

PCM is running its next two-day Columbus McKinnon Lodestar Motor Schools on 27-28 June and 29-30 June respectively. PCM has now trained over 800 owners, specifiers and users of Lodestar Motors via these invaluable hands-on workshops. PCM's Motor Schools, which are still free of charge, offers attendees a comprehensive, hands-on overview of the CM Lodestar motor. There is also a basic motor trouble shooting session. Once again, the event will be broadened by trussing, ground support and metalwork specialists James Thomas Engineering. Further Motor schools will follow throughout the year as part of PCM's on-going commitment to training.

Bryan Raven, Mike Crossman, Richard Wilson and Dave Isherwood have been appointed to the Board of Directors of White Light (Electrics) Ltd. Bryan Raven and Dave Isherwood have also joined the Board of Directors of The Moving Light Company, the White Light Group's specialist automated lighting division. All four of the new Directors have been with White Light for more than a decade, with Bryan Raven currently occupying the position of general manager, Mike Crossman that of hire manager, Richard Wilson, operations manager and Dave Isherwood, manager of The Moving Light Company. They have been directly involved with White Light's on-going success, growth and expansion into new market areas over the last 10 years.

Stage One Creative Services has become the first scenic construction company to achieve the Investors in People standard. It seals a period of expansion for the Yorkshire-based firm, which was also the first in the scenic construction sector to achieve ISO 9002 accreditation. The company, which provides the scenic solutions for events ranging from international product launches to corporate conferences and television stage sets, has doubled its turnover to £5 million in the past two years alone. And since a merger with Hangar Staging in 1996, its staff has grown from around 20 to over 60. Staff at Stage One are in the final stages of preparation for their biggest project so far this year - providing extensive staging and scenic elements for the Royal Military Tattoo 2000 in June, which will be broadcast live across the country.

The Production Services Association (PSA) Council announced on June 14th that some significant changes are to be made in the day-to-day running of the Association. Keith Ferguson is now to concentrate fully on the Training and Qualifications initiatives. He will also move forward with his role as a trustee of the Welfare & Benevolent Fund, which recently achieved full charitable status. Consequently, a search for a new general manager is to start shortly, with a view to securing an appointment by the end of the year.

After six months in the US, Mads Hald is back at Seelite in Denmark. He will work both as a service technician and as the company's regular technician in the two big Copenhagen concert houses - Pumpehuset and Vega. Ole Helms Knudsen has also joined SeeLite as warehouse manager in Copenhagen and Jan Støiberg now takes over responsibility for all maintenance repairs and related tasks.