Featured Articles

Miss Universe Wales (December 2011)

Another Day in the Life of Viv Series

Not in vain

Many may suspect that, once a beauty pageant ends with its Grand Finale, all goes quiet until the build up to the next. Not so!! From the moment the very first Miss Universe Wales final 2011 at City Hall, Cardiff, ended on Friday March 11th, with press publicity photos of our winners with our sponsors, family and friends, and swung into the very early hours of Saturday morning with its after-party at 411 nightclub, the MUW machine was still very much in top gear.

L-R back, Michaela Morgan, Miss Universe Swansea; Charlotte Perkins, first runner-up Cardiff and winner of Miss Perfect Bride; Marie Lao, Miss Universe Newport; Vanda Santos, first runner-up for Newport; front, Vivienne; and Zoe Kinsella, first runner-up Swansea

As the party revellers let down their hair, and the Miss Universe Wales winners enjoyed their moment, to celebrate with family and friends, our ace London photographer Lee Collie swung into action!! Working until 4.00 am, he prepared a series of images ready to be sent, hot off the press, to the media that morning, in an attempt to make the Sunday papers. However, even with the best will in the world, nature can have a habit of conspiring against you, and the tsunami that hit Japan that night filled the Sunday papers, reducing our coverage to a slim column tucked away in the back pages!!

However, we did get some lovely follow-up images in the press of the winners in the South Wales Argus and South Wales Echo, so all was not lost.

L-R Launching the G-Club at Grosvenor Casino in August are: Michaela Morgan, Miss Universe Swansea; Vivienne Sharman-Lewis, MUW Director; Marie Lao, Miss Universe Newport; Summer Ghanavati, Miss Universe Wales, Cardiff; Melissa Coles, Winner of Miss Beautiful Hair; and Adele Flynn, Second runner-up for Cardiff

Furthermore, I had designed and already organised a bridal press competition to tie in nicely with all the growing interest and publicity surrounding the pending royal wedding on April 29th.

So, heading for our sea-front mobile holiday home in Porthcawl at 6.00am that Saturday morning, just as the dawn was breaking, and with birds shattering my increasing hangover following the after-party, I prepared to welcome Lee Collie, who, on checking out of his hotel that day, would spend the night with us, ready for the planned shoot on Sunday morning.

L-R Miss Universe Cardiff and Newport, Summer Ghanavati and Marie Lao, A member of the winning St David Welsh Polo team, finalist 2011 Nadine Tilley, Vivienne and official stylist Wenda James-Rowe

Sunday morning dawned, to find me rallying Lee from his enthusiastic stint, shooting images on the Welsh beach, to pack his gear and head in convoy back into Cardiff to liaise with our fresh winners and contributors. We had arranged to meet at the outlet of our bridal gown sponsor, Suzanne James Bridal in Castle Arcade, Cardiff, who were supplying the fabulous gowns and venue for the shoot.

With girls messaging to say they had arrived, but could not get in, I had to leave Lee, who insisted on trundling along at a majestic 50 mph, in plumes of exhaust fumes, to get to the venue super quick. Sure enough, Suzanne was inside, but had been distracted with bridal fittings downstairs and had not heard the girls knocking.

Socialising at the Polo, with the Deputy Mayor of Cardiff and husband, Vivienne and Nadine Tilley, finalist 2011

So, six gowns were quickly selected for our three winners and three first runner-ups to cover all possible styles, and, with sponsors Debbie Oliver of Visual Contour working on the make-up, and Aquarius Hair creating their fabulous bridal hair-ups, the work began. Mrs Bouquet, who had dressed the final in floral splendour, travelled from Pontypool to supply the lovely bridal bouquets. In fact, six sponsors, including the prize supplier, my overseas sponsor Ritz-Resorts of Tenerife, France and Denmark, who put in a £3,000 week in their surreal Hattonchâtel Château Hotel, near Paris, were featured and publicised in that one press feature.

Overall, it was actually estimated that Miss Universe Wales had attracted some £50,000 of press coverage on behalf of our sponsors, finalists and contributors in the short four months leading up to the finale, without the double-page spread in Wales on Sunday and the full page in the South Wales Echo on this wedding competition and the fashion spread of the prize holiday in the Algarve, which all featured contributing sponsors.

At the bridal-shoot, the girls looked breathtaking and, with “oohs and ahs!!” from all concerned, including Suzanne's clients, one of whom was so impressed with the hairstyles that she immediately booked Aquarius Hair to do all the hair for her own wedding, Lee took some test shots, and, after setting up and dressing a studio, he started shooting the girls individually.

L-R Official Miss Universe Wales Contributors 2012, Choreographer, Florentina Shine, Vivienne, and Official Sylist, Wenda James-Rowe

My idea for the competition was for the public to select which of the girls wore the dress that would be judged to be closest in style to the one Kate Middleton eventually wore on her big day. Then all the ones who had selected the winning dress (as it turned out, dress “A”, as judged by Suzanne, a slightly vintage style with lace bolero, as worn by Charlotte Perkins, first runner-up for Cardiff, and coincidentally Miss Beautiful Bride), were put in a hat for the prize draw. The winners will enjoy a week at the château this coming year.

Work on the competition did not end there, as photos of the six girls had to be selected, along with images of the château sent by Ritz-Resorts, and sent on to the newspapers for their graphic designer to crop and superimpose onto their chosen backdrop and layout, while the competition procedure had to be decided upon (text or a coupon postal vote) and implemented - with legal contracts signed by myself to ensure that only those entrants who had ticked the box agreeing to accept on-going publicity were contacted in future. The spread was published in both newspapers, and looked simply amazing. A huge thank-you to Emily Woodrow, features editor of Wales on Sunday, for her faith in my ideas and for agreeing to publicise them. The same applied to her involvement in my next big challenge, to create a fashion photo-shoot during the prize holiday in the Algarve. Within hours of returning from the holiday on Tuesday, June 28th, Emily texted me to say she had heard we were back, and could she have the images, like NOW!! So, although I had been whisked off for a 90 year old auntʼs family birthday and weeks holiday in Scotland on the Friday, I then spent the next three days editing over 700 photos taken by Lee, and, with inconsistent Internet, emailed them to the press, my fellow director (who was away travelling himself), and our press consultant. (See: Miss Universe Wales spreads Positive PR for Wales on the Algarve)

Since the holiday, I also seem to have been allocated the responsibility of honouring our obligations to our sponsors by ensuring our winners attend an event, if requested, on their behalf. Miss Universe Wales finalists agree on entry that, should they win, they will be contracted to the Miss Universe Wales official organisers, 2Getha Promotions Ltd., up to the next final, and attend a few events in their role as title holders. Although it delivers sponsors benefit from sponsoring us, it also gives the winners massive publicity and coverage while attending enjoyable and high profile events, which are usually featured in the press and in press fashion spreads, all fabulous additions to their portfolios.

Eventually, we are able to attract paid assignments - for example, Miss Universe Newport is hosting a paid glittering celebrity New Yearʼs Eve event in Newport this year, and Michaela Morgan modelled for the National Lottery at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

Some of the events we have covered are: The Open Evening of Visual Contour, our Official Beauty Salon sponsors for 2011, who needed the winners to attend an open evening at their Beauty Centre, at which Miss Universe Cardiff, Newport, and the first runner-up for Cardiff (standing in for Michaela Morgan, who was attending her auntʼs funeral that day hosted and modelled in a Scarlett Étoile Fashion show, and posed for press publicity photos with the staff.

The Aquarius Hair Re-Launch Event requested the girls for their re-launch party, to celebrate Jacqueʼs take over as its sole owner. A sparkling event with lots of goodies including a chocolate fountain and the Cardiff Life magazine photographer shooting the girls, resplendent in their crowns, sashes and gowns, mingling and posing for photos.

As the Summer whisked by, I had to start to look at new sponsors for the 2012 pageant, so the events included: St Davidʼs Polo Events Prospective sponsors, with whom I was in negotiation, asked for the girls to attend their events and Miss Universe Cardiff, Summer Ghanavati was asked to present the trophy in June at the Wales v Argentina at Fonmon Castle, and again for their Coopers Field event on August. Miss Universe Cardiff, Newport, and finalist Nadine Tilley had VIP treatment with a delicious three course meal in the chairman’s marquee, while I entertained two tables of my new sponsors and prospective sponsors, including a party that had flown in from New York.

The Grosvenor Casino Launch of its G-Club. Newly signed-up sponsor, Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff, who felt the Miss Universe Wales concept suited their business plan perfectly, came on board, after meeting with myself and their Sales Manager Zöe Westerman and General Manager Vince, as our Regional Headline Sponsor for Cardiff for 2012, and have already benefited from hosting the new Cardiff audition on November 12th, which was featured in Wales on Sunday the next day. They will also be hosting the Charity Party on February 2nd, and the after-party of our Grand Final on Saturday February 18th. Whatʼs more, they requested the winners from this yearʼs pageant to help them launch their new G-Club at a glamorous Grosvenor Casino. Again, Miss Universe Wales from Cardiff, Newport and Swansea, with runner-up Adele Flynne, and the winner of Miss Best Hair, Mellisa Coles, posed with Vince and Zöe for press photos that went into Cardiff Life magazine.

Miss Universe Wales at the Britain's Next Top Model competition with L-R - models Alicia Redman, Talis Bell, MUW, Choreographer, and Mrs Galaxy finalist, Florentina Shine, Vivienne, MUW, PA Nardia, niece, Jessica Jayne Lewis

Vitality Gym, Park Place, Cardiff, are our official Health Club Sponsors, and had use of one of the finalists, Adele Flynn and myself for a promotion on Queen St Cardiff. Vitality Platinum Spa, opposite Cardiff Castle, which they are now launching on December 7th, with some of the girls to add glamour to the launch.

Americano Jazz Café are our official Miss Universe Wales Jazz Café for Swansea, and have already won an award as the best music venue for Swansea. They hosted our Swansea audition on November 14th, to be featured in Swansea Life magazine, and will benefit from the press coverage from our Swansea finalists, to help them get their first anniversary party in February off with a blast!!

Miss Universe Newport, Marie Lao, will be hosting a celebrity event in Newport on New Year's Eve.

In my capacity as Director of Miss Universe Wales, as well as escorting and supporting the winners at their various events, I personally attend events to lend my support to sponsors, canvas for new talent and maintain our profile between pageants. I attended the finale of Miss Galaxy Torfaen The Miss Beauty v Miss Fashion pageant, Britain’s Next Top Model party and the Pomegranate Night club launch. I have supported our official stylist, Wenda James-Rowe at one of her styling sessions and at her latest fashioning initiative at Park Plaza Hotel and also attended the launch of our Official Choreographer, Florentina Shineʼs launch party for her new business..

Purely as a post-script, we are looking to build on our fantastic success, when one of our Welsh winners, Chloe-Beth Morgan from Cwmbran, actually won Miss Universe GB and went on to represent the whole country at the world finale at São Paulo in Brazil in September. Although Miss Angola was chosen as Miss Universe, it was truly awe-inspiring to know that we had a Welsh girl competing against 82 world countries and being seen by over 800 million viewers world-wide, courtesy of NBC TV, who own the pageant along with Donald Trump in New York.

Moving on, we have already had three auditions for the 2012 competition, at the Grosvenor Casino Cardiff, the Americano Jazz Café in Swansea, and the Revolution Vodka Bar in Newport, and, with one last big audition and Christmas party planned at 411 Club on Saturday, December 10th, our new pageant will celebrate the spirit of Olympic year! As an Olympic Leader for our area in Wales, we will be doing all we can to help raise that profile. Liz Fuller, the beautiful high-profile ex-owner of Miss Great Britain, now an actress and TV presenter in LA, is also coming across the Pond to be a judge at this last audition, and, contribute an extra benefit, to my new “Visions Finishing School for Pageant Queens” by offering the girls an amazing opportunity to take her free mentoring service in media skills to access opportunities in the film and TV industry.

Sarah Fleming and Vivienne, photographed by Official photographers 2012, Deuce Photography

We also welcome on board our new official contributing sponsors for 2012, Deuce Photographers, choreographer Florentina Shine, dress company, Stardust Boutique, stylist Wenda James-Rowe and security company Maranzano Protective Services. Our new pro-active charity for 2012, The Haven, raises money for breast cancer sufferers and their families.

It looks as though our pageant will truly fulfil our slogan, “Not in Vain”. Finalist Sophie Hannah Walters has already gone full-steam ahead with her fund-raising endeavours since being selected as a Swansea finalist and receiving her pack on November 14th, and, with the three girls who raise the most funds for the charity in each region winning the automatic opportunity to enter Miss Universe Great Britain, along with the three regional winners and their two runner-ups, it is all to play for!!

Some of the brand new Swansea finalists for 2012 at Sponsor Americano Jazz Cafe, Swansea Bay, with Viv and Paul Davies from "Whats it Like" magazine, who judged on the night

We are also hoping for a successful result to our negotiations to secure an amazing and unique venue for our Grand Finale. In 2011, Miss Universe Wales performed miracles by sending a Welsh winner to the world finale; for 2012, Miss Universe Wales deserves to walk on water, and to be televised, as a prestigious annual event in Wales.

With our new finalists, who are, in the main, university students, and with many Welsh speakers, it is a true Welsh event on Welsh soil!!

See you at the Miss Universe Wales James Bond/Casino Royale Charity Party at Grosvenor Casino on Thursday, February 2^nd 2012, and the Grand Finale on February 18^th 2012 (venue and date TBC).

Details on entering, sponsoring or attending Miss Universe events are on www.missuniversewales.com

Or call Vivienne on 07881756748

Vivienne Sharman-Lewis, 1 December 2011

© 2011 Caregos Cyf. | Hawlfraint - All rights reserved

Click here to return to the Featured Articles page