By Ifechi Okoh - Lagos
IFECHI OKOH reports that the West Africa Beauty Pageant which is currently receiving finishing touches from the organizers is billed to be the mother of all beauty pageants in the continent.
CONVINCED that West Africa is not only blessed with mineral resources, ebony-skinned Tosin Fagbemi a world-class musician, and great sculptor has established a powerful framework for a successful first ever West Africa Beauty Pageant.
However, Fagbemi did not rely only on his zeal. He also banks on unique methods evolved to record resounding success.
Like a craftsman poised to churn out a master piece, Fagbemi eats, sleeps and wakes up, thinking of how best to prosecute successfully this project which he considers one of the best things that will ever happen in the West African sub region.
So far, preparation have reached advanced stage and have gulped good amount of money, time, creativity and energy. He has also reached out to various West African countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, Cote de vire e.t.c. for assistance.
Fagbemi disclosed that he has had useful and far reaching discussions with prospective sponsor companies and chief executive officers in some West African countries.
In Ghana, Fagbemi held fruitful discussions with the CEO of Reliance Services, Alex Kwasi Bruks who has been in the beauty pageant business for years.
The contact did not only afford him the chance of tapping from such experience and expertise. It provided him with the golden chance to meet another Ghana-based pageant management guru, Uni-African Services, headed by Mukaila Ahmed Akuamoah, whose company is celebrated for project management, advertising and research operations.
Fagbemi disclosed that Akuamoah was willing to do business with him and organizers of the first ever West Africa Beauty Pageant.
He has also held deliberation with Togo's ETS LE comporain CEO, Alex G Sossor.
Fagbemi who also oversees Fontana Blu Corporate Eatery in Surulere, recalled with satisfaction that his trip to some West African countries was a success story in all ramifications.
The initiator emphasised that a solid foundation has been laid for the project and that the success made so far will not be jeopardised.
As a result, he maintains that he has been in constant contact with all the CEO of the companies contacted earlier, reviewing and evaluating the project in line with emerging needs and interests.
Satisfied with the success recorded so far during his West African tour, Fagbemi has now turned his attention to Nigeria, where the pageant would hold. He said his efforts is beginning to yield results.
The final actualization of this project which he maintains would make a bold statement on the hidden African natural beauty and cultural heritage.
Companies contacted in Nigeria includes Guinness Nigeria Plc, Maximum Digital Ltd, the official representative of all energy drink, headed by Maxwell Wezianya, F.C. Matrix, owned by Michael Damisa, Hair Company Ltd, managed by Rita Idechen, who is well respected for her company's hair treatment wizardry.
Others include Felvin Associates headed by Okey Felix Okeke, Winco company managed by Ifeanyi Okafor, EKO Bank, City People, Acada and Network Magazines.
All these corporate concerns according to Fagbemi are poised to actualize the project amid all odds.
He maintains that with their concerted efforts to record resounding success, "God will crown our efforts".
Source: All Africa
Showing posts with label Organizer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organizer. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Winners Cite Broken Promises in Pageants
Ashley Wood, Miss South Carolina 2004, attends the Wharton School. She has not been able to collect her pageant scholarships. (Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times)By JENNIFER 8. LEE
When Ashley Wood was crowned Miss South Carolina in 2004, she thought her title came not only with a tiara and a shot at Miss America, but also a $20,000 state scholarship and $5,000 national pageant scholarship.
Ms. Wood said Miss America scholarship winners “encounter one obstacle after another.”This fall, Ms. Wood entered the Wharton School, the business-studies arm of the University of Pennsylvania. But she has yet to receive any of that scholarship money, having been locked in a dispute with the Miss South Carolina pageant for more than two years.
“You are talking about an organization that is promoting itself as the largest scholarship provider for women in the world,” Ms. Wood, 26, said of the Miss America Organization. “When contestants try to collect their funds, they encounter one obstacle after another.”
Ms. Wood said she was told that she would not get the $20,000 for winning the Miss South Carolina pageant in part because her two local pageants had not paid her $950 that she had won from them (Ms. Wood said that after she enrolled in classes, one group reneged on payment and the other dodged her when she tried to collect). In turn, because she did not receive the state money, the national pageant sent her a letter in June saying she was ineligible for the $5,000 from it, even though the deadline to use her national scholarship had not passed. “It’s like a game of gotcha,” she said. “What is very clear to me is that the goal is to not give out the scholarships if at all possible.”
Ms. Wood’s is among the most prominent disputes in recent years involving the pageant system, which endures — albeit diminished — since network television dropped the Miss America Pageant in 2004. But there have long been complaints that the 1,200 local and 52 state pageants run under the aegis of the national pageant often do not distribute scholarships to winners. The contestants say their difficulties collecting their money surprise them, given that the Miss America system promotes itself as a scholarship pageant rather than a beauty pageant, unlike its main rival, the Miss USA contest.
Interviews with contestants across the country describe a Miss America system in which local pageant directors do not return telephone calls and e-mail messages for months, local competitions close down before scholarships are distributed, and the fine print in contracts creates hurdles. Local winners across the country have threatened legal action, and some have taken it.
Pageant organizers at each level of the Miss America system say that such problems are the exception and that they occur because contestants miss deadlines or do not dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s to get paid.
In a statement, the Miss America Organization, based in Linwood, N.J., said: “While it is unimaginable that scholarships, which are the heart and soul of Miss America, could or would be wrongly withheld from pageant participants, we are looking into these allegations. We have definitive procedures in place to vet disputes and guarantee state organizations stand behind their scholarship agreements with the Miss America Organization and those to whom scholarships are promised.”
The statement added, “The Miss America Organization is absolutely unaware of any young lady that has ever been denied payment of scholarships after properly following the application process.”
Gail M. Sanders, comptroller of the Miss South Carolina contest, declined to discuss Ms. Wood’s case but said, “To my knowledge there is not a single contestant in the state of South Carolina who has abided by the rules who has not been paid.”
Carrie Davis Cousar, Miss South Carolina 1992, sued the pageant and settled a short time later; the terms were not disclosed. Last year, the South Carolina secretary of state investigated the Miss South Carolina competition and fined it $2,000 in March for not having its financial papers in order.
Pageant organizers and contestants at the local and state levels describe a system plagued by weak oversight and run largely by 100,000 volunteers. The local competitions, franchised by the 52 state pageants, have no legal ties to the national organization, though they feed contestants into the national pageant, which moved to Las Vegas from Atlantic City last year and will be broadcast on the TLC cable channel in January. And the local pageants vary in how well they are administered, contestants and administrators say.
Safiya Songhai, Miss Five Boroughs of New York in 2004, said she struggled to get the $1,000 scholarship she won. “I had been warned by a girl who won before me that I’m not going to see that money,” said Ms. Songhai, who said that in contrast, she had no problem collecting $5,000 as a runner-up to Miss District of Columbia in 2001 and 2003.
She filed and won a case by default in small claims court in Manhattan after the director of the Miss Five Boroughs Scholarship Pageant failed to respond to messages left over five months. When she still had not received her scholarship, she took her story to a local television station. She was paid within two days of the broadcast of her account, she said. The organizer of the now-disbanded pageant did not return calls for comment.
“Basically, if I hadn’t gone after them, I wouldn’t have gotten my money,” Ms. Songhai said. “There is no real checks and balances to make sure the contestants get their money.” She said that competing in Miss Five Boroughs was fun, but added, “They are disorganized and they are bad with money management.”
Saidah Story won a $1,000 scholarship as Miss Inland Empire 2003 in California, but her mother, Renee Wickman, said the pageant director informed her that there would be no scholarship.
“Instead of the scholarship, she was like, ‘You can take these gowns,’ ” Ms. Wickman said. The pageant folded after that year. Bob Arnhym, president of the Miss California Pageant, said the Miss Inland Empire director moved to Canada because her mother had fallen ill, but had notified the state she had given Ms. Story “the full value of the scholarship.”
Despite contractual agreements, the state organizations say they have only limited enforcement of local scholarships.
“Is there something that the state can do? In short, the answer is really no,” said Paul Brown, executive director of Miss New York. “While we require that they maintain scholarship bank accounts while they are in existence, we have no control over what happens to that,” he said. “The only control that we have is over them maintaining a legal franchise.”
In theory, state pageants could take local pageants to court, but “that legal battle is prohibitive financially,” Mr. Brown said. “It’s not worth doing that for a scholarship which is $1,000.”
Still, state-level executives will step in at times. Sherry Rush, the executive director of the Miss Maryland competition, said the organization tried to help Ashley Windle, Miss Chesapeake Bay 2006, and Kristy Chance, Miss Prince George’s County 2004, after they were unable to collect scholarship money from their local pageants. They have yet to be paid, however.
Source: The New York Times
“You are talking about an organization that is promoting itself as the largest scholarship provider for women in the world,” Ms. Wood, 26, said of the Miss America Organization. “When contestants try to collect their funds, they encounter one obstacle after another.”
Ms. Wood said she was told that she would not get the $20,000 for winning the Miss South Carolina pageant in part because her two local pageants had not paid her $950 that she had won from them (Ms. Wood said that after she enrolled in classes, one group reneged on payment and the other dodged her when she tried to collect). In turn, because she did not receive the state money, the national pageant sent her a letter in June saying she was ineligible for the $5,000 from it, even though the deadline to use her national scholarship had not passed. “It’s like a game of gotcha,” she said. “What is very clear to me is that the goal is to not give out the scholarships if at all possible.”
Ms. Wood’s is among the most prominent disputes in recent years involving the pageant system, which endures — albeit diminished — since network television dropped the Miss America Pageant in 2004. But there have long been complaints that the 1,200 local and 52 state pageants run under the aegis of the national pageant often do not distribute scholarships to winners. The contestants say their difficulties collecting their money surprise them, given that the Miss America system promotes itself as a scholarship pageant rather than a beauty pageant, unlike its main rival, the Miss USA contest.
Interviews with contestants across the country describe a Miss America system in which local pageant directors do not return telephone calls and e-mail messages for months, local competitions close down before scholarships are distributed, and the fine print in contracts creates hurdles. Local winners across the country have threatened legal action, and some have taken it.
Pageant organizers at each level of the Miss America system say that such problems are the exception and that they occur because contestants miss deadlines or do not dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s to get paid.
In a statement, the Miss America Organization, based in Linwood, N.J., said: “While it is unimaginable that scholarships, which are the heart and soul of Miss America, could or would be wrongly withheld from pageant participants, we are looking into these allegations. We have definitive procedures in place to vet disputes and guarantee state organizations stand behind their scholarship agreements with the Miss America Organization and those to whom scholarships are promised.”
The statement added, “The Miss America Organization is absolutely unaware of any young lady that has ever been denied payment of scholarships after properly following the application process.”
Gail M. Sanders, comptroller of the Miss South Carolina contest, declined to discuss Ms. Wood’s case but said, “To my knowledge there is not a single contestant in the state of South Carolina who has abided by the rules who has not been paid.”
Carrie Davis Cousar, Miss South Carolina 1992, sued the pageant and settled a short time later; the terms were not disclosed. Last year, the South Carolina secretary of state investigated the Miss South Carolina competition and fined it $2,000 in March for not having its financial papers in order.
Pageant organizers and contestants at the local and state levels describe a system plagued by weak oversight and run largely by 100,000 volunteers. The local competitions, franchised by the 52 state pageants, have no legal ties to the national organization, though they feed contestants into the national pageant, which moved to Las Vegas from Atlantic City last year and will be broadcast on the TLC cable channel in January. And the local pageants vary in how well they are administered, contestants and administrators say.
Safiya Songhai, Miss Five Boroughs of New York in 2004, said she struggled to get the $1,000 scholarship she won. “I had been warned by a girl who won before me that I’m not going to see that money,” said Ms. Songhai, who said that in contrast, she had no problem collecting $5,000 as a runner-up to Miss District of Columbia in 2001 and 2003.
She filed and won a case by default in small claims court in Manhattan after the director of the Miss Five Boroughs Scholarship Pageant failed to respond to messages left over five months. When she still had not received her scholarship, she took her story to a local television station. She was paid within two days of the broadcast of her account, she said. The organizer of the now-disbanded pageant did not return calls for comment.
“Basically, if I hadn’t gone after them, I wouldn’t have gotten my money,” Ms. Songhai said. “There is no real checks and balances to make sure the contestants get their money.” She said that competing in Miss Five Boroughs was fun, but added, “They are disorganized and they are bad with money management.”
Saidah Story won a $1,000 scholarship as Miss Inland Empire 2003 in California, but her mother, Renee Wickman, said the pageant director informed her that there would be no scholarship.
“Instead of the scholarship, she was like, ‘You can take these gowns,’ ” Ms. Wickman said. The pageant folded after that year. Bob Arnhym, president of the Miss California Pageant, said the Miss Inland Empire director moved to Canada because her mother had fallen ill, but had notified the state she had given Ms. Story “the full value of the scholarship.”
Despite contractual agreements, the state organizations say they have only limited enforcement of local scholarships.
“Is there something that the state can do? In short, the answer is really no,” said Paul Brown, executive director of Miss New York. “While we require that they maintain scholarship bank accounts while they are in existence, we have no control over what happens to that,” he said. “The only control that we have is over them maintaining a legal franchise.”
In theory, state pageants could take local pageants to court, but “that legal battle is prohibitive financially,” Mr. Brown said. “It’s not worth doing that for a scholarship which is $1,000.”
Still, state-level executives will step in at times. Sherry Rush, the executive director of the Miss Maryland competition, said the organization tried to help Ashley Windle, Miss Chesapeake Bay 2006, and Kristy Chance, Miss Prince George’s County 2004, after they were unable to collect scholarship money from their local pageants. They have yet to be paid, however.
Source: The New York Times
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Ms. Earth '07 brings Bohol across world
As the province will host five of the 90 candidates of Miss Earth 2007, the affair would give a chance for Bohol eco-tourism be featured over at least 35 television networks in different countries.
The Miss Earth 2007 pageant will cover activities from October 25 to November 2.
The Carousel Productions, Inc. proposed to the provincial government that by hosting the candidates, Bohol's environmental advocacy will get international mileage and will be featured as one of the tourist destinations in the Philippines.
Bohol will accommodate four Miss Earth delegates and Miss Philippines-Earth for two days.
The telecast over ABS-CBN at 9:30 in the evening of November 11 will be replayed in 35 countries on Star World Channel, the largest cable television network in Asia and the Middle East and over 26 countries through The Filipino Channel and some participating countries in their local television stations.
The Miss Earth delegates will visit different Asian countries to see the highlights on peace, culture, environmental issues and tourism industry.
They will also visit the different tourist spots in the Philippines and, at the same time, experience the taste of the Filipino culture and hospitality.
There will also be a search for "Li'l Earth Angels" among boys aging seven to ten years old at the different malls and schools in different municipalities, environmental campaigns against global warming in schools, tree-planting, clean-up drive, and waste segregation, among others.
Special events include fashion shows showcasing swimsuit, long gown, talent and national costume competitions in different establishments. (AV-PGMA)
Source: The Bohol Chronicle
The Miss Earth 2007 pageant will cover activities from October 25 to November 2.
The Carousel Productions, Inc. proposed to the provincial government that by hosting the candidates, Bohol's environmental advocacy will get international mileage and will be featured as one of the tourist destinations in the Philippines.
Bohol will accommodate four Miss Earth delegates and Miss Philippines-Earth for two days.
The telecast over ABS-CBN at 9:30 in the evening of November 11 will be replayed in 35 countries on Star World Channel, the largest cable television network in Asia and the Middle East and over 26 countries through The Filipino Channel and some participating countries in their local television stations.
The Miss Earth delegates will visit different Asian countries to see the highlights on peace, culture, environmental issues and tourism industry.
They will also visit the different tourist spots in the Philippines and, at the same time, experience the taste of the Filipino culture and hospitality.
There will also be a search for "Li'l Earth Angels" among boys aging seven to ten years old at the different malls and schools in different municipalities, environmental campaigns against global warming in schools, tree-planting, clean-up drive, and waste segregation, among others.
Special events include fashion shows showcasing swimsuit, long gown, talent and national costume competitions in different establishments. (AV-PGMA)
Source: The Bohol Chronicle
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Miss World Bikini
World Bikini Model International and Miss European Tourism 2007 were held in Malta with more than 55 contestants coming from all over the World.The event was held at the Dragonara Casino, St. Julian's and was organized by Catwalk Productions International which is the only organization in Malta holding an International License to organize these two International events.
Source: Di-ve
Friday, September 21, 2007
Khanh Hoa submits Miss Universe hosting plan
Image of the future 7,500 stageVietNamNet Bridge – Yesterday, September 19, Khanh Hoa Province People’s Committee submitted to the PM and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism its plan to host Miss Universe 2008 in Nha Trang City.
According to Le Xuan Than, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Hoan Vu Joint Stock Company will be directly responsible for organizing the event.
This means that Hoan Vu itself will pay the US$15million necessary to host the pageant (US$7million for copyrights and the rest is organization costs), as well as ensure adequate infrastructure that includes a 7,500-seat theatre.
Mr. Than said Hoan Vu would build the stage on an area of 7 ha within the Nha Trang Tourism and Entertainment Zone owned by Hoan Cau Nha Trang Ltd. Construction work will start as soon as the PM okays the plan.
Foreign experts will also be sent to Nha Trang to help carry out the project. Hoan Vu Joint Stock is made up of three companies - CIAT, Viet CEO, and Hoan Cau Nha Trang Ltd.
Hoan Vu submitted its hosting plan to provincial authorities right after Miss Universe Organization’s Chairwoman Paula Mary Shugart sent her letter to PM Nguyen Tan Dung, Culture Minister Hoang Tuan Anh and Khanh Hoa Chairman Vo Lam Phi expressing her wish to see Nha Trang host Miss Universe next year in August.
Source: Vietnam Net Bridge
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Vietnam will meet Miss Universe requirements: official
Reported by Xuan Hoa – Translated by Trong Nhien
The Khanh Hoa province vice leader said Wednesday that he was confident Vietnamese organizers would meet the Miss Universe pageant’s requirements and host the 2008 competition.
Miss Universe chairwoman Paula Mary Shugart has said that only once the government has approved the project and local organizers have proved their ability to meet budget and facility requirements would the panel officially sign a contract to hold the event in Vietnam.
The competition requires a US$15 million dollar investment including a new concert hall. Khanh Hoa officials and organizers are planning to hold the event in Nha Trang, Vietnam’s most popular beach destination.
Vice chairman of Khanh Hoa’s People’s Committee Le Xuan said that Hoan Vu Corp., Miss Universe’s Vietnamese organizing partner, plans to build a new 7,500-seat theater and would begin construction as soon as the central government ratified its proposal.
Than also said that government funds would not be spent on the event, but according to Hoan Vu Corp., the firm will be able to cover the cost of the show.
Than also said the province was upgrading Cam Ranh Airport to facilitate international flights while improving accommodation standards around Nha Trang to welcome the large number of visitors expected to flood the beach town for the pageant.
Authorities from the south-central province will now have to submit a report to the Government Office and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the project’s approval.
Several critics of the controversial plan have said that it would be a great waste of money to spend millions of dollars on a beauty contest while the country is still needs funds for development.
Holding such an event is never financially simple, according to Shane St. Michael, a member of the 2005 Miss Universe organizing board in Thailand.
“Although it [the event] was partly subsidized by the government, we still suffered a $1 million loss,” he said.
Source: Thanhnien News.com
The Khanh Hoa province vice leader said Wednesday that he was confident Vietnamese organizers would meet the Miss Universe pageant’s requirements and host the 2008 competition.Miss Universe chairwoman Paula Mary Shugart has said that only once the government has approved the project and local organizers have proved their ability to meet budget and facility requirements would the panel officially sign a contract to hold the event in Vietnam.
The competition requires a US$15 million dollar investment including a new concert hall. Khanh Hoa officials and organizers are planning to hold the event in Nha Trang, Vietnam’s most popular beach destination.
Vice chairman of Khanh Hoa’s People’s Committee Le Xuan said that Hoan Vu Corp., Miss Universe’s Vietnamese organizing partner, plans to build a new 7,500-seat theater and would begin construction as soon as the central government ratified its proposal.
Than also said that government funds would not be spent on the event, but according to Hoan Vu Corp., the firm will be able to cover the cost of the show.
Than also said the province was upgrading Cam Ranh Airport to facilitate international flights while improving accommodation standards around Nha Trang to welcome the large number of visitors expected to flood the beach town for the pageant.
Authorities from the south-central province will now have to submit a report to the Government Office and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the project’s approval.
Several critics of the controversial plan have said that it would be a great waste of money to spend millions of dollars on a beauty contest while the country is still needs funds for development.
Holding such an event is never financially simple, according to Shane St. Michael, a member of the 2005 Miss Universe organizing board in Thailand.
“Although it [the event] was partly subsidized by the government, we still suffered a $1 million loss,” he said.
Source: Thanhnien News.com
Friday, September 14, 2007
Miss Belize 2006, Maria Jeffries and Miss World 2006, Felicita Arzu pose with the eight Miss Belize contestants.The stage is almost been set and preparations are still underway for the annual Miss Belize Pageant which is to be held on Saturday, September 15, at the Belize City Centre, beginning at 7:30P.M.
Eight beauties from all over the country will compete in the single crown competition, unlike last year where two crowns were awarded.
They are Jenine Thompson, 20, representing Belize Rural North, Keisha Daniels, a 21-year-old primary school teacher of Stann Creek, Iris “Jessie” Medina, 24, of Orange Walk, Sharalee Rodriguez, being the youngest with 18 years, Melanie Lammey and Lorriean Samuels, both 19, along with 20-year-old Tanisha Vernon, and Flareda Belezaire all of Belize City.
Like most years, it’s a pageant of distinction that promises to be an event to remember. In addition to the traditional strolls across the stage and the various costumes, local artists like B-Wood massive from Buttonwood Bay will also entertain the audience. On Wednesday, the young ladies vying for the title were introduced to the press.
According to Executive Director, Margaret Johnson, they have lost five days of training due to Hurricane Dean, but have caught up over the last two days.
“It’s been tedious due to the weather. Nevertheless, I have some very nice young girls going up and we’ve had good participation. I’ve had a lot of applications, but as I had mentioned earlier, I only chose the ones who I thought were ready because we had only a short time to prepare.”
Contestant Tanisha Vernon, during a brief interview with this newspaper mentioned her decision to enter was an inspiration.
“I’ve had a lot of support, but I must say thanks especially to my parents who were my biggest motivators. Being my first time, I thought it would be a great experience. I will also get to meet new friends.”
Reporter also spoke to Melanie Lammey, who is being sponsored by Belize Telemedia Limited. According to the brave at heart, she entered because “as a little girl growing up, I’ve always dreamt about becoming an ambassador to Belize and this pageant will give me the opportunity to become that ambassador.”
She continued, “I also entered this pageant because I really want to prove to myself that I am not as shy as I believe I am.”
These eight women also participated in a swimsuit and fashion competition on Saturday last, September 8. In the end, it was Lorriean Samuels who walked away with both titles.
The present Miss Belize, Maria Jeffries says her last year has been great. Not only had she traveled to numerous places like Merida and the United States, but was also this year’s Costa Maya Queen, which happened just last month in Ambergris Caye. She concluded by saying that if she had a choice, she would not give up her crown because the rewards are overwhelming.
For additional information on the contestants, you can visit their official website at www.missbelize.bz. Tickets can be purchased at any Venus outlet, the Princess Hotel or at D.J. Tambran at $20 for reserve and $10 for general and children before 6:00P.M. on September 13. An additional $10 will be added for those purchased anytime after.
Source: The Reporter
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Khanh Hoa determined to host Miss Universe 2008
With support from related quarters, Khanh Hoa will surely host next year’s Miss Universe successfully, said Nguyen Chien Thang, acting Vice Chairman of the province People’s Committee, in a recent interview.
Mr. Chien said though the estimated total cost of VND240billion for hosting the beauty pageant was quite a high price, it would all pay off in the end. Businesses directly in charge of hosting the event, CIAT and Viet CEO, will cover all costs, while provincial authorities will help to ensure such things as traffic safety, diplomacy and reception issues.
He also said construction works necessary to turn Cam Ranh Airport into an international airport would soon be carried out, and this would contribute greatly to meeting the Miss Universe organisation’s infrastructure requirements. Khanh Hoa province has also requested that CIAT and Viet CEO prove their financial and other relevant capacities before the submission of the final plan to the PM.
Sources: Vietnam Net Bridge and Nong Thon Ngay Nay
Mr. Chien said though the estimated total cost of VND240billion for hosting the beauty pageant was quite a high price, it would all pay off in the end. Businesses directly in charge of hosting the event, CIAT and Viet CEO, will cover all costs, while provincial authorities will help to ensure such things as traffic safety, diplomacy and reception issues.
He also said construction works necessary to turn Cam Ranh Airport into an international airport would soon be carried out, and this would contribute greatly to meeting the Miss Universe organisation’s infrastructure requirements. Khanh Hoa province has also requested that CIAT and Viet CEO prove their financial and other relevant capacities before the submission of the final plan to the PM.
Sources: Vietnam Net Bridge and Nong Thon Ngay Nay
Monday, September 3, 2007
No slowing down
Stories by CHOW HOW BAN
Charlie See turned 97 yesterday. The Penang-born founder of Festival of Beauty Inc, which holds rights to 37 pageant titles worldwide, shows no sign of slowing down despite his age.
THANK God I am still alive,” said Charlie See who turned 97 yesterday. See, founder of Model of the Models International Pageant, currently on in Madrid (Sept 1-8), celebrated his birthday at the Spanish capital. See and his wife of 57 years, Ann, were invited by pageant president, Raquel Molinero, to spend a week in Spain.
In a recent interview in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, See talked about his early struggles and how he found fame in the United States.
Charlie See: ‘“Everybody dreams about Hollywood. I made dream girls from all over the world my contacts!’
Born in Penang in 1910, See moved to Raub with his family because his father’s job took him to Pahang. After his primary education, he returned to Penang, where he learned English and French.“After my father died, I tried to do some business and opened a sports store selling badminton rackets,” See recalled.
“Then I became a member of the Rotary Club. In 1935, I went on a world tour. I travelled from Penang to Colombo and then to Europe. As a Rotary Club member, I spoke to the Rotarians of Colombo about Malaysia. From Colombo, I went to Pakistan and Bombay before landing in Europe.”
See promoted Malaysia to Rotarians from other parts of the world. “I gave them a flag and they gave me a flag (in return). I was doing publicity and goodwill on behalf of Malaysia, but that was a long time ago.”
See’s travels took him to Paris, London and New York. He left a deep impression on the Americans.
“At your age, I was making jokes. I said: ‘I come to New York and you got skyscrapers because you think you can go to heaven easier.’ They laughed and said: ‘You Chinaman?’ and I said ‘yes’ and they said ‘We want you. Can you represent us and go to Rotary Clubs around the US?’
“They gave me top hotel accommodation and paid me. I went all over the United States for free.”
From there, See headed for Shanghai where he met six Chinese men. They ended up speaking English. It was the first time See realised that the Shanghainese and other Chinese were different as there were so many dialects spoken by the Chinese.
His boat then sailed to Manila before returning to Malaysia. He had travelled around the world in four years, and so he wrote a book entitled A Chinese Sees the World to share his experiences.
Hungry for more exposure, See left for Singapore in 1939. There he landed a job as manager of the Happy Cabaret, which provided entertainment to guests on cruises. See also organised fashion shows featuring his own batik designs.
See with Audrey Hepburn
The threat of war loomed over them, and See knew the risks he had to take. After his vessel left Singapore and arrived in Indonesia, they received news that Singapore had been bombed.
“I was stuck in Indonesia for a month and continued organising shows in Bali. At that time, I had a visa to travel from Malaysia to the US as a marketing agent.
“After Singapore was bombed, every day the Japanese and Germans were sinking ships. We had with us a convoy of ships sending the last shipment of rubber because the Japanese had cut everything off,” he recalled.
Of the 17 boats that left Surabaya in Java, 16 were sunk. See, together with 12 other passengers and 49 prisoners held in captivity by the Indonesian government, escaped death when the captain of the ship headed towards the Atlantic Ocean.
When they reached South America, they put down the prisoners and continued their journey to the United States.
“When my boat arrived in New York, I had no money. I had only wooden carvings and sarung batik,” See said. “I sold the carvings to feed myself.”
“I was stuck in Indonesia for a month and continued organising shows in Bali. At that time, I had a visa to travel from Malaysia to the US as a marketing agent.
“After Singapore was bombed, every day the Japanese and Germans were sinking ships. We had with us a convoy of ships sending the last shipment of rubber because the Japanese had cut everything off,” he recalled.
Of the 17 boats that left Surabaya in Java, 16 were sunk. See, together with 12 other passengers and 49 prisoners held in captivity by the Indonesian government, escaped death when the captain of the ship headed towards the Atlantic Ocean.
When they reached South America, they put down the prisoners and continued their journey to the United States.
“When my boat arrived in New York, I had no money. I had only wooden carvings and sarung batik,” See said. “I sold the carvings to feed myself.”
Jack of all trades
While in the United States, See met a Chinese ballroom dancer who taught him some basic dance moves. The duo later picked up the samba and rumba from a coach.
As the Chinese jitterbugs were in great demand in the dance scene at that time, See and his partner found some dancing parts in small theatres.
Later, when See heard that the famous Folies Bergere was heading for New York, he jumped at the chance to audition for the French show, which featured a Chinese dance sequence.
“I passed! So after six months, Charlie See was dancing on Broadway!”
See with Ava Gardner
The ever-versatile See turned professional dancer and performed in Hawaii and various places for six years.
At 39, he moved to California in pursuit of his Hollywood dream. There he met his wife, Ann, an actress. They teamed up as professional ballroom dancers.
Ever game for a new challenge, the couple reinvented themselves as photojournalists. They went all over the United States and the Caribbean, taking photographs and distributing stories on Hollywood to news agencies from all over the world.
During their Hollywood days back in the 1950s, the couple rubbed shoulders with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and the late John Wayne, who lived in the same neighbourhood.
When the first-ever Miss Universe beauty pageant was held in Long Beach, California, in 1952, See and Ann knew they would not want to miss the event. However, See could not get access to the auditorium. He was stopped by the police because he did not have a media pass to cover the event. Undaunted, he sneaked through the back door to cover the event.
“For the first eight years, the Miss Universe pageants were held in Long Beach. I made friends with everybody there,” said See.
His big break came in 1957 when Universal Studios, one of the pageant’s sponsors, wanted to produce a film on the pageant.
“For five days, they were looking for someone with coloured films. They had heard about a Chinaman who had coloured films. So one night, someone from Universal Studios called me and said: ‘You Charlie See? You got Miss Universe film?’ and asked if the film was good.
“I told them if I had to spend 10 dollars, it had better be good. So Ann and I tied the films up. A Cadillac came to our house and ferried me to Universal Studios where they viewed my 35mm film.”
Miss Universe cameraman
A representative from Universal Studios negotiated with See on the price of the films. See asked for US$10,000 but had to settle for US$5,000. He was made the official cameraman for the Miss Universe pageants.
“When Universal Studios released the film, all the outdoor scenes were mine. I became famous with a US$40 camera,” he said.
See sold his photographs to another sponsor, Max Factor, which assigned him to photograph former Miss Universe winners such as Gladys Zender from Peru (1957), Luz Marina Zuluaga of Colombia (1958), and Akiko Kojima from Japan (1959), during the beauties’ tours.
See described Zender as a big star. “Zuluaga generated a tremendous following in America as she had her own stamps and songs written after her”.
“I travelled with Kojima for six months in Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.”
During the interview, See pulled out stacks of photographs of beauty queens and celebrities from his drawer and showed them to me, one by one. Some were taken by him, others by his assistant.
“Here I am with Marilyn Monroe,” See enthused, adding that he was the photographer when the Hollywood legend attended the premiere of her film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
See related that he had small acting jobs too. He was a Japanese soldier in the 1950 wartime film, Three Came Home, which starred Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles and Sessue Hayakawa.
“He brings along his photos wherever he goes and he enjoys showing them to people. It’s a compilation of his life’s work and he’s the only one who does this kind of work,” Ann chipped in.
“Ann and I had been photographing the stars,” See said. “I didn’t always travel with Ann though. Don’t forget it’s not easy with beauty queens around you. When I am alone taking photographs, it’s hard.”
One of See’s most memorable experiences was when he bought their house in Hollywood for US$3,000. That was back in 1950.
“When he was in Penang and Singapore, he was overwhelmed by Hollywood. It was his destination. He dreamed of living in Hollywood,” Ann added.
“Everybody dreams about Hollywood. I made dream girls from all over the world my contacts!” said See, with a twinkle in his eye.
Following his vast experiences in covering beauty pageants, See decided to organise his own pageants, and founded the Festival of Beauty Inc in the United States. That was more than 40 years ago.
See’s trademark pageants include Miss Globe International, Miss Tourism Queen International, Miss Tourism International, Miss Bikini International and Model of the Models International.
See is now wheelchair-bound following a fall two years ago. Apart from the lack of mobility and diminished hearing capacity, he is pretty healthy. He still works hard, travelling all over the world to attend pageants and is busy franchising his trademark pageants.
Molinero said See had become part of her family and his contribution to beauty pageants was tremendous as many contestants had benefited from their participation in such pageants.
“He has achieved the dream of many men – to live in Hollywood, meet important people and be surrounded by beauties,” Ann added.
Source: The Star Online
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Pageant organisers appeal for support
FRANCISTOWN - Although there were a lot of doubting Thomases, when 19-year-old Mpule Kwelagobe emerged Miss Universe 1999, her achievement brought pride to the nation sending shockwaves through the whole world.
Batswana were so proud of her achievement that even composed songs, slogans as well as naming their newly born babies Mpule, and for a short while beauty pageants were held in high esteem.
However all that was short lived. The popularity of beauty pageants has waned. As the search for a new Miss Botswana begin, the organisers, despite their commitment and need to improve the pageant, they still decry lack of support from the nation at large.
We are trying very hard to make something of the Miss Botswana pageant but without the nations support it is hopeless. Miss Botswana is a national event, but people think that it is a Botswana Council of Women event.
We need Batswana to rally behind us as well and not only associate themselves with beauty queens after they had won, said one of the organisers, Daisy Botsoba in an interview during an audition in Francistown, recently.
Ms Botsoba said Batswana are the ones who can brand the Miss Botswana pageant adding that if we could encourage those girls who have the qualities of a beauty queen to enter that would help, she said.
She said most people still feel that beauty pageants are a waste of time especially in Botswana, where many still believe that winners of such pageants are cheated and do not get the promised prizes.
Ever since I got involved with the pageant there has never been a time when winners did not get their prices, its just that people do not understand procedures followed in the pageants, she said.
She appealed to girls between the ages of 18 and 23 to come for auditions, adding that they should enter the pageant for a good cause not greed.
The girls should understand that being Miss Botswana is a huge responsibility in that you become the countrys ambassador. They should enter the pageant with the aim of flying the Botswana flag high as well as showing the spirit of volunteerism, she said.
However there are those who still view the pageant as a waste of time and not appealing. I dont see any point in having the pageant because no one benefits from it, we only benefited when Mpule won but really there was and still there is nothing to consider when you think of Miss Botswana, said Naledi Moatswi.
Ms Moatswi also said culture has a major role to play when it comes to beauty pageants as such events were never in Setswana culture taken in high regard.
Concurring with Ms Moatswi, Lucy Dibeela said Miss Botswana does not work out as those who compete are unsuitable.
Wrong people audition for the pageant, and I think the organizers should put more effort in looking for girls. They should look at the Nokia face of Africa arrangement and try doing something of that sort to look for contestants, she said.
She disagreed with the statement that Batswana were not doing enough to support the pageant, attributing the problem to the organizers of the pageant.
The public should feel the Miss Botswana vibe, people should want to get involved with it but the organizers are cold and the pageant is cold too, she said.
However there were those who felt the pageant was a good thing and with time it will improve. BOPA
Source: BOPA Daily News Archive
Batswana were so proud of her achievement that even composed songs, slogans as well as naming their newly born babies Mpule, and for a short while beauty pageants were held in high esteem.
However all that was short lived. The popularity of beauty pageants has waned. As the search for a new Miss Botswana begin, the organisers, despite their commitment and need to improve the pageant, they still decry lack of support from the nation at large.
We are trying very hard to make something of the Miss Botswana pageant but without the nations support it is hopeless. Miss Botswana is a national event, but people think that it is a Botswana Council of Women event.
We need Batswana to rally behind us as well and not only associate themselves with beauty queens after they had won, said one of the organisers, Daisy Botsoba in an interview during an audition in Francistown, recently.
Ms Botsoba said Batswana are the ones who can brand the Miss Botswana pageant adding that if we could encourage those girls who have the qualities of a beauty queen to enter that would help, she said.
She said most people still feel that beauty pageants are a waste of time especially in Botswana, where many still believe that winners of such pageants are cheated and do not get the promised prizes.
Ever since I got involved with the pageant there has never been a time when winners did not get their prices, its just that people do not understand procedures followed in the pageants, she said.
She appealed to girls between the ages of 18 and 23 to come for auditions, adding that they should enter the pageant for a good cause not greed.
The girls should understand that being Miss Botswana is a huge responsibility in that you become the countrys ambassador. They should enter the pageant with the aim of flying the Botswana flag high as well as showing the spirit of volunteerism, she said.
However there are those who still view the pageant as a waste of time and not appealing. I dont see any point in having the pageant because no one benefits from it, we only benefited when Mpule won but really there was and still there is nothing to consider when you think of Miss Botswana, said Naledi Moatswi.
Ms Moatswi also said culture has a major role to play when it comes to beauty pageants as such events were never in Setswana culture taken in high regard.
Concurring with Ms Moatswi, Lucy Dibeela said Miss Botswana does not work out as those who compete are unsuitable.
Wrong people audition for the pageant, and I think the organizers should put more effort in looking for girls. They should look at the Nokia face of Africa arrangement and try doing something of that sort to look for contestants, she said.
She disagreed with the statement that Batswana were not doing enough to support the pageant, attributing the problem to the organizers of the pageant.
The public should feel the Miss Botswana vibe, people should want to get involved with it but the organizers are cold and the pageant is cold too, she said.
However there were those who felt the pageant was a good thing and with time it will improve. BOPA
Source: BOPA Daily News Archive
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