Miss World slated to name Washington as host of its 2016 pageant
Miss World is expected to announce soon that Washington will host its 2016 pageant, and all eyes point to National Harbor in Prince George's County as the likely venue.
The news comes as Miss World America wraps up its competition, a preliminary round of Miss World, this weekend at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor. The winner of Miss World America will compete in Miss World.
Steve Douglas, an event director at Miss World, said a delegation from the London-based pageant organizer will be in Washington on July 26 to make the official announcement. Julia Morley, chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organization, will be a part of the trip.
“We are coming to Washington and all will be revealed,” Douglas said.
Prince George’s has been aggressive in trying to get Miss World to come to National Harbor, having been in contact with the organization for months, according to James Coleman, president and CEO of the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation.
“We have been working very aggressively” on getting Miss World to come to Prince George’s County, Coleman said.
Miss World would not confirm if the event would be at Gaylord. Both the EDC and the National Harbor Conventions & Visitors Association said they had not been notified of a decision from the Miss World Organization.
Gaylord Hotels, which is managed by Bethesda-based Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), declined to comment. The hotel is known for its Christmas displays, and construction is underway on a waterfront ballroom addition.
Miss World, which started in 1951 and is the the oldest international pageant, brings together representatives from 128 nations. It also runs the Beauty With A Purpose charity, which raises money for humanitarian projects. Miss World competes with other pageants such as Miss Universe, which was owned by Donald Trump until last year, and Miss Earth.
Coleman said Miss World would be the highest profile event that National Harbor has hosted since opening in 2008, adding that the county has been putting a “full press” on for months to secure Miss World America and Miss World.
The EDC, which helped facilitate conversations between Gaylord Hotels and local businesses with both Miss World America and the Miss World Organization, said that Miss World America is a great opportunity to show the country what Prince George’s is all about.
“It gives us the chance to showcase the excitement and power of Prince George’s County,” Coleman said. “It makes other people say, ‘Hey, we should try out National Harbor.’"
Coleman said that National Harbor would logistically be able to hold the event should Miss World announce it as the host. PageantNews.com recently reported that the event would be in Washington with contestants arriving Nov. 29 and the final being held Dec. 20, citing an internal email. That means the pageant would take place shortly after the MGM National Harbor casino is expected to open.
Prince George’s also hopes it is able to bring Miss World America, a licensed partner of Miss World, back to National Harbor for multiple years. Attendance at the weeklong event is pegged at between 5,000 and 10,000.
“[Talks] have already started with Miss World America,” Coleman said. “I want a multiyear agreement, but we have to be competitive with the rest of the country.”
Miss World America COO Jena Tang said that the pageant had gone well in National Harbor so far and that the Gaylord Hotel had been a great fit.
“We are hoping to grow the competition in Prince George’s County,” she said.
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2016/07/08/miss-world-slated-to-name-washington-as-host-of.html
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