‘Highlighting the level of Pageantry’ was the theme of a workshop held yesterday at The Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal.
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism, Manniram Prashad, hosted the one day workshop entitled “How to Plan, Organize and Produce a Pageant of Quality” Attending the event were members of various pageantry committees in Guyana, designers and delegates, including chairperson and Pageant Consultant/Coordinator Ms. Negla Brandis, International Pageant representative Ms. Pamela Dillon and local fashion designer Ms. Sonia Noel.
In his opening remarks, the Minister pointed out that the Ministry has special interest in the organizing of pageants as these portray the image of Guyana.
He added that  the workshop was held to highlight areas that need to be addressed and to set certain standards for local organizers to follow.
Prashad cautioned against promoters using the Ministry’s name, without permission, to draw attention to their events. He hinted that the Ministry will soon be forced to issue disclaimers to distance themselves from the events he describes as “tarnishing the image of the hard work that has already been done.”
He appealed to members of corporate Guyana to withhold sponsorship or support from events that are not recognized, so as “to ensure things are done properly.”
The Minister mentioned that the Ministry does not act as a regulatory body, but exists to ensure that pageants are done in an open arena to facilitate transparency.
Ms. Brandis thanked the Minister for his support of pageantry in Guyana and echoed Prashad’s sentiments. She said “the image of pageants needs to be improved.”
The chairperson took the opportunity to highlight the plight of organizers when it comes to funding. She said, “Financial support is important and sponsorship is the problem; nothing happens without money, it all boils down to dollars and cents.”
Participants were educated on guidelines for planning a pageant which focused on pre- pageant, pageant and post-pageant activities. It was stressed that pageant organizers need to be aware of certain procedures to ensure proper planning and eventually execution.
To host a “top notch” pageant that will be recognized, coordinators need to plan ahead and be organized, participants were told.
To do this they will need to follow the guidelines provided at the workshop. These ranged from forming the pageant team, choosing a theme for the event, sponsorship, and advertising, to thank you letters after the event.
Commenting on the amount of participants, Brandis said, “The response was excellent; there were at least fifty representatives from pageant coordinators to delegates of the upcoming Ms. Guyana Earth.”
The Miss Guyana Earth will be held at the Princess Hotel on June 26, 2010.