Biloxi, MS--
There are few opportunities that you can cherish in life and when you get a hold of them you certainly must take the time to look back and see the road that brought you those opportunities.
This past week we had the chance to see one of those opportunities first hand and where Pointed Magazine has gone in the past 11 years and where the Push Media Group plans to take the magazine in the future when we were invited to judge the 2009 Ms. Planet Beach International at the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, MS. We must admit it was a tough challenge with all of the talent that they recruited to compete on stage, but with the good company of the Planet Beach staff it was an experience we would enjoy taking part in again in the future.
Hosted by Lorenzo Lamas of Renegade fame and the stunning girl that had everyone snapping up Doritos off the shelves, Ali Landry, okay well it wasn't just Doritos it was Miss USA in 1996 that sent her to different roles in entertainment and television and made the event well worth checking out.
The biggest star of the night was winner of the 2009 Ms. Planet Beach International, Alison Skipper of Tampa Florida. Skipper received a $100,000 one year modeling contract, a franchise license valued at $30,000 to help start her own Planet Beach Contempo Spa, a trip with photo shoots to Montego Bay Jamaica for seven nights, calendar shoot for Ms. Planet Beach 2009 calendar, and a custom Ms. Planet Beach International diamond pendant necklace. This is a very impressive package and a showcase that was nationally syndicated for television to air in 2009.
Skipper wowed the judges with her creativity when she selected her brand new product to showcase. Each of the five finalists had a tough challenge in describing a product that did not even exist before tonight's pageant. Whether it was a new brand of water or vitamin, to be a spokes model for the product required something special and Skipper's delivery made all of us proud. She is a great person and will serve the Planet Beach brand well.
Perhaps the best part of this event is the story behind the entire pageant that now is in its 6th year and continues to grow year after year. President and CEO Steve Smith has a vision of the Planet Beach pageant to be just as successful as the 400 franchises that have exploded to the International level.
After the event, the fun continued at the very chic Rise Lounge which is located on the 16th floor of the Hard Rock Hotel in Biloxi. Seen were many of the contestants and the biggest celebrity of the night Reggie Bush seemed to have no problems with a few of his teammates making new friends.... quickly we might add at that.
