03/30/2006 OCEAN CITY – Fifty crown hopefuls will dazzle a worldwide television audience in April, but this year’s Miss USA contestants will first make a splash in the resort, as town officials prepare for a star-studded event next week and welcome the ladies, not to mention the added exposure, to Ocean City.
The 2006 Miss USA pageant will be broadcast live from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore this April, as the event returns to Maryland for the second straight year. Several hours from “Charm City” but one of the state’s most recognizable destinations, the resort will host all 50 contestants along with last year’s winner Miss North Carolina Chelsea Cooley.
Cooley and about half the contestants visited Ocean City last April where they took in the sights and some filming for the show on the beach and Boardwalk. The agenda could be similar next Thursday, but having all the women in town, condensing activities to one day and throwing a lively party to welcome the contestants are changes that make this year’s star-studded affair different.
Ocean City Public Relations Director Donna Abbott said the resort was highlighted beautifully in 2005 and every sign points to another successful partnership.
“Last year, we received outstanding publicity, national publicity. We’re certainly working with them to make it as smooth as it was last year,” said Abbott. “We certainly expect the same coverage if not better.”
Town officials welcomed approximately 25 of the 50 contestants to Ocean City in 2005. Abbott said having every state represented in town next week is exciting and a major bonus, but scheduling needs to be well planned and concise for organizers looking to do everything in a 24-hour period.
“I believe all the contestants will be here this year. I think this year they’re bringing them all down and getting everything done in a day,” said Abbott.
Last year, the resort agreed to collaborate with the State of Maryland, Baltimore and several other areas for a nine-minute commercial aired during the pageant. The statewide effort landed a commercial on primetime television highlighting tourism throughout Maryland. With the Miss USA pageant being televised in over 100 countries and reaching 13 million viewers, town officials eagerly coughed up the requested $25,000, which came from a state tourism grant.
The state and city of Baltimore each contributed $100,000 and other areas of Maryland such as Garrett County and Annapolis provided funding for the exposure. The Miss Universe Organization, which sponsors the Miss USA pageant among others, is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal partnership. The 1st Mariner Arena is managed by SMG, Baltimore’s largest indoor sports and entertainment facility, which is a site change from last year’s event held at the historic Hippodrome Theatre.
With a venue change planned for the main event, the resort’s reception will also be given a facelift. The Carousel Resort Hotel and Condominiums on 117th Street will once again host a party to welcome contestants to town, but the mood should be a little different this year.
“We want to make it a little more carnival, a little less stuffy and a lot more fun,” said Michael James, Maryland Tourism Development Board Member and Carousel general manager. “We are going to have a Hawaiian-type party. We were trying to build a little more excitement about it. This time we’re trying to make it a little bigger.”
Last year’s catered affair gave many of the contestants their first taste of seafood and a small meeting room provided an intimate setting, however, the Carousel next week will provide the perfect backdrop for a grand introduction to the city, with live entertainment and a chance for the contestants to put their hair down, James said.
As anticipation grows, James says, the publicity can only help the entire resort and assuring the event comes back to Maryland each year should rank high on the town’s list of priorities as growing tourism and national opportunities is a great thing for the area.
“I think they’ll do some shooting on the Boardwalk and I think they’ll be doing some athletic events, like a boat ride,” said James. “I think it’s wonderful for the city.”
Staff Writer
TKPN
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