Miss Universe 2008 - On the world stage

All eyes will be on Vietnam as it prepares to host the celebrated Miss Universe 2008 pageant.

MISS UNIVERSE 2008 PAGEANT

Venue : Diamond Bay Resort, Nha Trang Town, Khanh Hoa Province
Contestants : Over 80 international representatives
Schedule : June 15–July 14

A recent trip to the US to observe the Miss USA 2008 competition has provided the Miss Universe 2008 organizing committee with valuable insights in preparing to host the prestigious international pageant for the first time ever in Vietnam this July.

The local committee, which includes Khanh Hoa Province Vice Chairman Le Xuan Than, Thanh Nien Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Cong Khe, Director of Khanh Hoa Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Truong Dang Tuyen, and UniCorp General Director Tony Nguyen Quoc Toan, attended the final rounds of Miss USA 2008 held from April 9-11 in Las Vegas and came away impressed with the quality of the American production.

Seamless telecast

“American organizers pay utmost attention to perfecting their telecast,” said Vice Chairman Than.

“The light and sound effects at the pageant’s venue are all excellent and state-of-the-art.”

Thanh Nien Editor-in-Chief Khe echoed similar sentiments: “The telecast program has superb quality that delivers to millions of NBC television viewers all the excitement from the pageant’s stage into the comforts of their home.

Vietnamese organizers should change their habit of only focusing on beautifying the stage and its surroundings while overlooking the importance of television broadcast quality.”

The respect that the audience accorded to the pageant and its activities was also commendable.

“Viewers, including media correspondents and hosts, all abided by the regulations of the event as outlined by its organizers,” said Than.

“No one used cameras; therefore, no photographic flash spoils the broadcast quality.”

The Vietnamese organizing committee is currently considering renting light and sound systems along with several other modern facilities from its American counterparts to use for the Miss Universe final telecast scheduled for July 14 in the coastal town of Nha Trang.

Local charm, global appeal

As the host for this year’s contest, expected to be watched by more than one billion viewers internationally, Vietnam wants to put on a show the world won’t soon forget.

“The Miss Universe 2008 pageant should showcase the unique national features of the host country while meeting all the highest standards that the US audience has come to expect,” said Than.

UniCorp General Director Toan said his company had sent 10 Vietnamese event and stage specialists to the US to work with

American organizers of the Miss USA pageant to gain experience and practice to put on a majestic and unforgettable event

Toan shared that next month another 20-member Vietnamese delegation will fly to the US to receive training in preparation for hosting the pageant.

Brains, behavior, beauty

Having acted as a judge at several beauty contests, including Miss Earth 2007, Khe said that the determining factors of prestigious pageants always narrow down to the criteria of “brain, behavior, and beauty.”

Khe said he was very impressed by the contestants in the Miss USA competition, especially the 26-year-old winner, Crystle Stewart, who hails from Texas and will represent the US at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant.

“Regarding our Vietnamese beauties, I believe they will be as intellectual and confident as their foreign counterparts if they are provided with more opportunities in international exchange,” said Khe, adding that Vietnam should learn from its Latin friend Venezuela in offering professional training for potential beauty contestants at an early age.

First-class facilities

Accompanying the local organizing committee to the US on this occasion, Tran Kim Minh, the general director of the 584 J.S.C. Company, said: “Before the trip, I was curious to see the venue in Las Vegas. After being inside the beautiful theater of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, I would say I am proud that our Crown Convention Center surpass it on a much greater scale.”

584 J.S.C. Company is the contractor and sponsor of the Nha Trang town-based Crown Convention Center, which will serve as the host venue for the Miss Universe 2008 pageant.

Expected to be finished before May 30, the center covers 10,000 square meters in Diamond Bay’s Nha Trang Tourism and Entertainment Area and features an indoor stage with 7,500 seats meeting the latest international standards, designed to be the largest and most modern site of its kind in Vietnam.

The nearby 2,000-square-meter international press center will provide media correspondents with convenient access to cover the 2008 pageant.

Reported by Tuyet Linh – Luu Hong
Source : Thanh Nien Daily