The organizer of the Miss Earth pageant, Carousel Company, signed a memorandum of understanding on January 28 with Vietnamese sponsors to hold the Miss Earth 2010 pageant in Vietnam.

Carousel’s Chairman Ramon Monzon.

The organizer of the Miss Earth pageant, Carousel Company, signed a memorandum of understanding on January 28 with Vietnamese sponsors to hold the Miss Earth 2010 pageant in Vietnam this November.

The announcement came midst a ceremony at Legend Saigon Hotel in HCM City. In attendance were Ramon Monzon, Chair of Carousel, and Lorraine Schuck, Carousel’s Executive Manager, plus Vietnamese organizers, including Nguyen Cong Khe, Chairman of the Thanh Nien Media JS Company, Nguyen Quang Thong, editor-in-chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper and Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vincom Group.

Carousel Chairman Ramon Monzon shared his thoughts with VietNamNet.

VietNamNet: Why has the Miss Earth board decided to organize the pageant in Nha Trang this year?

Ramon Monzon: 2010 is the tenth anniversary of the Miss Earth pageant. This is a big event, so we want to bring it outside the borders of the Philippines. Many countries wanted to host the event, such as Indonesia, Cambodia and Miami (USA), but we choose Vietnam because of the favourable conditions for the pageant, from finance to locales and hotels.

VNN: How many people will come to Vietnam, including Carousel’s organizing board and contestants?

Monzon: Our organizing board numbers around 30 members. They will go to Vietnam in groups to make surveys and to cooperate with Vietnamese partners to advertise the event. We are responsible for inviting and bring 90 contestants from around the world to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese organizing board will be in charge of accommodations, travel inside Vietnam for Carousel’s members and the 90 contestants over a three week period. Vietnam will also take provide to life insurance, health insurance and security for the contestants and the organizing board.

VNN: What are the duties of Carousel’s organizing board?

Miss Earth 2009.

Monzon: We will support our Vietnamese partners in terms of stage design, sound and lighting. Carousel will also invite five prestigious foreign jurors for the finale.

This is a good chance for Vietnam to advertise its image internationally via TV channels in the Philippines, US, Europe and even the Middle East.

We will shoot a video clip about Vietnam to show on the final night and Vietnam can use the image of Miss Earth to market tourism. In 2007 Vietnam successfully organized a sub-competition of Miss Earth in Vinpearl Land (Nha Trang), so I strongly believe that it will be no problem for Vietnam to host Miss Earth 2010.

I and the Vietnamese organizing board are planning to sign the official contract for Miss Earth 2010 in late February 2010. According to our plan, Vietnam will host the Miss Earth in even-numbered years from now until 2020.

VietNamNet/TN