Carolyn ‘invytes’ you to… Miss Jamaica Universe 2010
The new decade has brought in its wake two new titles for lady gorgeous herself, Carolyn Yapp — Miss Jamaica Universe 2009. Not only has she achieved her childhood dream of opening up her own cosmopolitan beauty store, Nylorac, but she now proudly wears the sash of brand manager for the Miss Jamaica Universe pageant, a title appointed to her by Invyte Productions, the new franchise holder for the pageant.
This year, the Miss Jamaica Universe pageant celebrates its 25th anniversary and under the management of Invyte Productions and Carolyn Yapp, this year’s staging promises to be nothing short of spectacular. When we caught up with Yapp, she was beaming with excitement (evident by her ever constant radiant smile) as she regaled us with details of the “All Star Weekend” that will be Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 …Remember, you heard it here first!
According to Yapp, the Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 pageant will be anything but an ordinary affair. The pageant will be the highlight of a weekend of “premium events of world-class calibre” in the heart of Kingston. The weekend will commence with a launch party at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Friday, July 2, to be followed by the grand coronation show at the National Stadium on Saturday July 3. It concludes with an after-party on July 4. But why the National Stadium as the pagent’s venue? Yapp was quick to inform us that “… this will bring back the Miss Jamaica Universe pageant to the glory days of the past when it was a national event.”
The “All Star Weekend” will highlight several international and local acts. Although reluctant to disclose the identities of these artistes, Yapp did however say that the line-up includes multi-Grammy award-winning artistes.
Quite befitting the regal nature of the weekend is its prize package, as it seems fit for a queen (or several queens for that matter). The complete package exceeds J$10 million. Apart from the J$1 million cash prize, Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 will receive a car valued between J$3 million and J$4 million, make-up courtesy of Face Forward, free travel courtesy of Skylan Airlines, a complete wardrobe, among other prizes.
Yapp was keen to underscore that the prizes will not end solely with the winner. This year, every contestant who places in the top 10 will possibly receive endorsement deals along with other prizes. According to Yapp, “There are several international agents who are looking for a new face for their campaigns, so for girls who want to pursue a career in modelling, Miss Jamaica Universe is the perfect platform to kick-start that career.”
Apart from endorsements, every contestant will receive discounts and benefits from Miss Jamaica Universe’s sponsors, which include Yapp’s own Nylorac. They will also benefit from Yapp’s brainchild, a concept she calls “Beauty Academy”, where all contestants will be trained by experts in the various fields of beauty and pageantry including media, speech, poise and etiquette. Yapp believes that this will ensure that every contestant benefits from the Miss Jamaica Universe experience.
Speaking of academy, schools also serve to benefit from the Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 staging. The high school of the selected winner will receive $1 million in aid of their building fund, co-ordinated by the queen herself. Yapp is encouraging schools and alumni associations to take advantage of this opportunity by sending representatives — whether past or present students — to enter this year’s pageant.
Entries for this year’s innovative pageant close this Friday, April 30. Interested ladies between the ages of 18 and 25 are asked to visit Invyte Productions, 130 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6 to be a part of the Miss Jamaica 2010 “All Star Weekend”. You can also check out the Miss Jamaica Universe fan page on Facebook for more information.