By Jean Christou
COMMERCE Minister Nicos Rolandis yesterday described next year’s Miss Universe Pageant as the most important event ever for Cyprus tourism.
Rolandis was speaking at a press conference to announce the details of the contest, fixed for 4am on May 20 — prime time TV viewing time for Americans on May 19.
Cyprus beat out 12 other countries to host the 49th Miss Universe millennium pageant. It will be broadcast to 110 countries by American TV network CBS and watched by hundreds of millions of people across the globe.
The contest is being organised jointly by the Miss Universe Corp, the Donald Trump Corp, CBS, and the Cyprus Ministry of Commerce Industry and Tourism.
Rolandis said the contest involving participants from over 80 countries was the biggest global events after the Olympics and the World Cup.
“I believe it is the most important event ever for Cyprus tourism,” he said.
During the four-week pageant, thousands of people, including 2,000 foreign journalists, will visit the island. The May 20 show will be held at the Eleftheria indoor stadium in Nicosia.
An 18-strong CBS team toured the stadium yesterday with Minister Rolandis. Miss Universe Corporation President Maureen Reidy told journalists: “I’m sure this will be the best event we ever produced. It will be the event of the millennium.”
On the night of the contest, screens will be set up at various points all over town for those unable to obtain tickets to the 5,000 seat stadium. The screening will be combined with other events to create a party-like atmosphere.
Essentially the event is geared for TV viewing, not a live audience, and all of the technology involved will focus on the television aspect.
In the three-week run-up to the contest, participants will be filmed in different areas of the island in conjunction with cultural and other events.
The main focus of the pageant will be to link it to Aphrodite, the goddess of love believed to have emerged from the sea off Cyprus over 3,000 years ago.
“We are looking for a unique way to blend the old, thousands of years of history with the new,” said Susan Winston from CBS. “We are very excited about prospects from an artistic standpoint.”
