Hotelier vows to showcase best of Ja
LAST year, Dimitris Kosvogiannis was one of the judges in the Miss Jamaica World competition. In fact, it was his second year in a row acting in that capacity.
This year, however, things are different.
On Wednesday, the Greece-born, naturalised Jamaican became the local franchise holder for the prestigious Miss Universe Pageant 2012.
“My team and I went to New York and presented our arguments to the franchise owner, Trump International. And, I guess we were convincing as yesterday [Wednesday], I was informed that I was being granted a licence to stage the event locally,” said Kosvogiannis.
“This means we, my group and I, would stage the Miss Jamaica Universe Pageant competition and the winner would go on to represent the island in Miss Universe Pageant 2012.”
Invyte Productions was the previous holders of the franchise. Prior to that Kingsley Cooper, chief executive officer of Pulse modelling agency, had a 20-year hold on the Miss Universe Pageant franchise which he ended in 2009.
Kosvogiannis, who is general manager of the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa, said he intends to add his own touch to the competition.
“We intend to bring a new sense of passion and elegance. And more importantly, I want to focus the competition on the development of the contestants,” he said.
The hotelier said he was going to ensure that the entrants from the island’s rural areas would not be excluded.
“Not everyone has the means to come to Kingston for the auditions. So we’ll make that opportunity available to them by going into the various parishes,” he said.
According to competition rules, contestants must be a Jamaica citizen; reside in the island as a permanent and primary residence for at least six months priors to start of local leg of the pageant; and, be at least 18 years and under 27 as of February 1 next year.
Kosvogiannis said he was optimistic in finding local talent which could replicate or even surpass Yendi Phillipps’ effort when she was awarded first runner-up in Las Vegas to Ximena Navarrete of Mexico in 2010.
“It is my mandate to showcase the best of Jamaica and I will use my resources and that of my team to bring an incredible show,” he said.
Some previous winners of the local leg include Sandra Foster in 1989; Kimberly Mais in 1991; Justine Willoughby in 1995; and Zahra Burton in 2001.
Miss Universe Pageant is the most publicised beauty contest in the world and was founded in 1952.