BEYOND PAGEANTRY
Miss Global Jamaica/International
GIVING A whole new meaning to beauty with a purpose are newcomers Miss Global Jamaica/ International, shifting their focus to that of tourist development.
Director of Miss Global Jamaica and co-director of Miss Global International, Neelam Ramchandani, explained to Flair that Miss Global has been around for 14 years, and while they are the youngest pageants here in Jamaica, they are the only one to host an international pageant here on our green shores.
FOCUS ON TOURISM
With uniting the world through beauty and tourism being their main mission, they have already been working with the local tourist board to promote the tourism industry in Jamaica to the world. “In Miss Global Jamaica, which takes place in June, we don’t promote ‘coco cola-bottle shape’, we’re not as restrictive as other pageants. We have no particular height or size requirements and rarely do we turn away anyone. We promote awareness and Brand Jamaica, so tourism is the basic root of our pageant.”
She continued by stating: “For the competition, contestants have to undergo a five-minute interview, answering tourismrelated questions from a panel of judges, so they have to be culturally aware. There’s a talent component, which gives them that extra option to show what they are made of, then they participate in a swimsuit segment and evening wear sections. Contestants love the evening wear section as well, because they get to choose and style their own gowns. The judges, in turn, get an idea of who the girls are based on their personal selections.”
They saw 2012 as their biggest year, where they had close to 45 contestants entering the Miss Global International competition. They are aiming towards the same amount this year, targeting more European countries
Their biggest challenge to date is raising awareness locally because, according to Ramchandani, they are still new and are still trying to build their international branding, all while hosting the pageant here.”
TASTE OF JAMAICA
In three weeks, from September 6-10, the international queens will be coming on board for Miss Global International. “With the international pageant, we give our contestants a taste of Jamaica, so they can always have that to remember, and take home with them to share with others, of course.” They’re always recruiting both locally and internationally so, for Miss Global Jamaica/ International, it’s really a non-stop cycle.
Ramchandani’s advice to anyone wanting to enter the competition: “Just be confident. If there’s that slight desire to do it, then just do it.”
For more information, check out their Instagram pages: @missglobaljamaica and @missglobalinternational