Miss Jamaica World pageant, all dolled up

At the launch of the Miss Jamaica World 2011 pageant, a series of new elements were unveiled to make the event more modern and enjoyable.

From the Talk of the Town, situated atop The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, pageant director Terri-Karelle Reid outlined the new elements that will, this year, add a new look to one of the most prestigious entertainment/lifestyle events on the calendar.

This year there was be a pre-selection process. That pre-selection means women were given the opportunity, if chosen, to hold gym memberships at Spartan Health Club, and benefit from grooming and speech lessons to better prepare them for eliminations.

Special Youtube channel

The launch of a Miss Jamaica World YouTube channel was also announced. The channel will feature short documentaries of the finalists, which will archive the journey of the women and provide them with the added advantage of increasing theirs and the event's fan base.

This year, some new sectional categories have been introduced. Usually, there is the Most Aware and the Most Congenial sectional categories, but there will be three others this year.

Most Photogenic, sponsored by Ocean Spray; Best Legs, sponsored by Venus Embrace; and Best Skin Tone, sponsored by Neutrogena.

The launch of the Miss Jamaica World website, courtesy of Interlinc communications, will also be a new element. The Miss Jamaica World pageant has also joined the throng of companies to use social media as a marketing tool.

One of the most exciting additions to the new elements is the first ever Miss Jamaica World themed photoshoot. According to Reid, "the themed photoshoot this year is titled 'Elements' where we highlighted the four natural elements - water, air, fire and earth. The shoot took place at the Boone Hall Oasis earlier this week, it was something that has not been done in Miss Jamaica World history and we are super excited about it."

parade of beauties

Prior to the announcement of the new features, all the finalists were openly presented and paraded in their swimsuits, individually and then in groups for the specially invited guests, which included members of the media and sponsors.

Host for the evening, Denise Hunt, maintained the intimate vibe of the launch, inserting jabs here and there on members of the audience.

Aisha Davis, clad in a pink mini and matching heels, gave a powerful performance as she took to the stage and belted out two of her singles from her repertoire, displaying killer vocals, while remaining fashionably on point. A nice fit to the night's proceedings.

The girls had their public parade and sashing at the Sovereign Centre on Old Hope Road on Saturday.