Worldsport appoints Loudfire to produce events for BMW GS Challenge

Registration for the Great African GS Challenge 2006 takes place this afternoon, 20 September, and the Challenge itself runs over three days from 21 to 24 September. Since the inaugural 2004 event, the field has grown from 120 challengers to 600 in 2006. The venue this year is the picturesque farm of Moolmanshoek, situated between Rosendal and Ficksburg, and bordering Lesotho in the Free State.

In terms of its appointment, Loudfire is being entrusted with providing the event infrastructure and hospitality for the Challenge; supplying several freeform tents and décor, as well as taking care of all bar and food experiences. The company is also providing additional infrastructure in the form of toilets and showers.

Comments Paul Sainsbury, Sales Director of Loudfire and the company's project manager for this event: "We are extremely gratified that Worldsport SA chose to partner with us for the third time on this event. We enjoy an excellent relationship and good understanding with the company and its people - the measure of which is the ease with which we are able to work together on such complex projects as this one.

"As an indication of exactly how big and how complex the 2006 event is; to transport our gear to the site required 10 eight-ton trucks plus a huge Link truck. In addition, we pulled resources for this event from all our national Loudfire offices."

Of particular note is the freestyle Bedouin tent that Loudfire commissioned from Tentra specifically for the Great African GS Challenge. The tent is the largest freestyle tent in Africa and was manufactured using the patented technologies and functional design applications that are unique to Tentra's StormChild range. It is therefore both incredibly strong and 100% waterproof. When stretched to capacity, the tent has a footprint of about 1300m2, which translates into sufficient room to accommodate around 600 people for a sit-down meal or 1250 standing.

Come Thursday, 21 September, the sleepy hollow that is the farm Moolmanshoek will come alive as never before, when some 600 BMW GS motorcycle engines turn over and competitors commence three intense days of offroad riding and skills challenges.

Interestingly enough, competitors must arrive at the challenge astride their motorcycles, and are permitted to bring with them only that which they can fit onto their bikes. As befits an event of this sort, the accommodation provided is in the form of tents.

In stark contrast to the rough and rugged nature of the Great African GS Challenge, Sainsbury says Loudfire has promised Worldsport the delivery of a series of polished guest experiences that will richly reward competitors for the long days spent on their bikes, over grueling terrain.

About Loudfire:

Born in Cape Town in 1994, Loudfire has served the South African events, parties and experiences industry for more than 12 years. In 2002 it established an office in Johannesburg, which subsequently became its headquarters and home to a sizeable warehouse and fleet. Loudfire still maintains a strong presence in the Mother City and now also has a satellite office in Durban.

In delivering on its promise of "Designer entertaining for your brand", Loudfire creates events that embrace the total guest experience and also sells component experiences to its competitors, such as its bar, décor and tent experiences. Its sister company Tentra manufactures all of the company's freestyle Bedouin tents, which it offers for hire or for sale, and has the largest such tents in Africa.

Loudfire is a fully empowered company with an effective BEE shareholding of 30.14%, of which 18.9% is owned by BEE investment company Direng Entertainment (Pty) Ltd. and the balance by internal partners.