FILLING THE ‘GAP’
Celebrating 10 years’ of business this year, Gap Factor husband and wife owners, Jodie Cunningham and Greg Howarth, have grown the company from an events company to an events infrastructure solutions company.
Stages
The evolution began when the couple realised a need for a reliable staging supplier. Gap Factor Staging was formed. Beginning with 20 stage pieces comprising heavy duty decks, the company now has over 3 000m²of staging and decking.
Stretch tents
Stretch (Bedouin) tents were the next acquisition. “Our rigging systems are so far advanced that we have managed the successful completion of jobs some competitors have termed ‘impossible’,” says Jodie. One example is the company’s involvement in the TBWA’s building launch in Sandton. “The company used a kite as a theme for the launch. Using a stretch tent we created a ‘kite’ which extended from the top of the building to the bottom, and allowed for a projected presentation on to the symbol. The kite doubled as a roof for the party.”
Gap Factor has a number of tents for hire, the smallest 6m X 6m and the largest approximately 20m X 50m. “We have a unique guttering system allowing us to join any quantity of tents while ensuring the structure is leak-proof.”
The tents comprise three layers, the middle layer a membrane ensuring it is 100% waterproof” All seams are waterproof – a new innovation, and tents are fire retardant.
Gap Factor uses a trussing system when erecting tents, making it possible to include AV and lighting. “An entire stage of almost any proportion can be covered with all equipment easily installed and covered.”
Additional developments
The company began providing decking and stage decks to cover water surfaces. “The stages we had at the time were heavy duty,” Jodie stresses, “so we designed lighter decking.”
It can be used from ground level up to 1.5m high. Large decking projects include the flooring for the temporary terminal at OR Tambo International Airport in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup (approximately 3 000m²which took 10 days to complete) and a temporary conference centre for Sun International in Nigeria. A number of factors, including cabling, weather and drainage, needed to be taken into consideration for the project to be successful.
The company has invested in a cable locator system known as a Cat Scan, which determines the location of underground pipes and cables.
Making the difference
The company’s decking system evolved from a board and rafter system, limiting height and causing complications on uneven surfaces, to a steel framework and screw jack system which denies these complications. The next step was temporary flooring and turf protection making use of a modular plastic flooring system. The latter was used at Orlando Stadium for the Vodacom Unlimited Festival in 2011.
All structures designed and implemented by Gap Factor are signed off by an engineer.
“We provide concept drawings to manage client’s expectations,” Jodie concludes. We plan to concentrate on ‘green’ infrastructure solutions made from recycled materials.”
The company has branches in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth and the UK.
Case study
Gap Factor won a platinum award for its infrastructure solution at the 2011 Durban Indaba.
A 10m x 15m yellow stretch tent was used to provide cover, water ballasts were used instead of driving pegs into the concrete. An aesthetically pleasing appearance was achieved by covering these with stretch covers. An 8m x 12m truss box was used to rig the tent over allowing for a greater ceiling height; a clear area on the stand without hindrance of poles was achieved; and rigging points for lights, sound and LCD Screens installed.
A 10m x 15m deck was built to level the area and covered with a combination of interlocking flooring and dance floor to separate the different areas in the lounge.
