SMILES, GOWNS, TIARAS, TROPHIES & PRETTY FEET!

2019 NATIONAL AMERICAN MISS PAGEANT for the MARYLAND & Virginia Jr. Pre-Teen Contestants!

ALL- 2019 National Miss Pageant Jr. Pre-Teen Contestants for Maryland & Virginia

The 2019 National American Miss   Pageant for Maryland & Virginia   Contestants took place on August 8, 2019 - August 10, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel located at the Reston Town Center in Reston, VA!

HISTORY

Founded in 2003, the National American Miss Pageant is a pageant that was created to Grow Confidence and Create REAL WORLD SKILLS in girls ages 4 - 16!  (www.namiss.com)

NAM is a program based on the foundational principle of fostering positive self-image by enhancing natural beauty within. National American Miss is a program designed for today’s girl. NAM celebrates America’s greatness and the individuality of American girls. It is a program centered around helping young ladies grow and expand their ideas about who they are and what they want to achieve. NAM wants every girl to realize that she truly can take hold of her dreams and make them real!  (www.namiss.com) 

The National American Miss Pageant consist of 6 Pageant Categories; PRINCESS, JR. PRE - TEEN, PRE -TEEN, JR. TEEN, TEEN & MISS!  There are 53 STATE National American Miss Pageants!  

I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the National American Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Pageant for Maryland & Virginia Contestants! I attended this event in support of my Goddaughter as a Jr. Pre-Teen Contestant from Maryland!  This 3 DAY Event was packed with so much, running, prepping, dressing and hair styling for the pageant girls! 

PAGEANT SCHEDULE:

DAY 1 August 8, 2019 of the National American Miss Pageant:

• 1:30pm-3:45pm: Pageant Check-in & Optional Contest Rehearsal
• 6:15pm-7:15pm: Workshop
• 7:30pm-8:15pm: Get Acquainted Party for Jr. Pre-Teens

DAY 2 August 9, 2019 of The National American Miss Pageant:

• 8am-9pm: Orientation
• 9:15am-9:30am: Group Photo with Jr. Pre-Teens
• 9:45am-11am: (Optional) Talent Competition
• 11:15am: (Optional) Casual Wear Competition
• 12:00pm: DANCE REHEARSAL
• 1:15pm-1:45pm: (Optional) Actress Competition
• 3pm-4pm: ESCORT & FORMAL WEAR/Personal Introduction Rehearsal
• 5:15pm-6pm: RED CARPET Photo Opportunity (Formal Wear)
• 6:30pm-8:15pm: FORMAL WEAR & Personal Interview

DAY 3 August 10, 2019 of The National American Miss Pageant:

• 8:15pm: Final Rehearsal
• 10:15am-11:00am: Personal Interview with Judges
• 5:30pm: PAGEANT FINALE - Grand Ballroom

LOCATION: 
The NAM Pageant is held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Reston Town Center in Reston, VA every year in August!  

This location is perfect for this type of event!  This 15 floor hotel holds over 200 guests, which is plenty of rooms for the many events and guests that they host.  With its on-site Panera Bread and separate restaurant/bar, guests don't have to go far to get good food and great coffee!

The Hotel is located in downtown Reston, VA with the Reston Town Center as the backyard of the hotel.  The Town Center has a large amount of restaurants, stores for shopping and several pet friendly establishments for guests and visitors.  Jackson, Uncle Julio's and Clyde's are just a few of the restaurants that I visited while there.  Also in the backyard of the Hyatt Regency Hotel you will find a HUGH outdoor Concert area and gaming area for kids and adults!  The PERFECT location for guests with plenty of activities! 

ENTERTAINMENT:

Entertainment for this pageant event was very simple.  At the start of each of the Formal Pageant Events, on both Day 2 and Day 3 of the pageant, we were serenade by a musical guest with one of her songs being "American the Beautiful.  From that point on, it was on with the Contestants and the Final Competitions. 

The Pageant Event HIGH LIGHTS:

Day 2 of the Pageant, the Contestants had the opportunity to go on stage in front of guests in their Personal Interview Outfits and recite to the judges and the audience, their name, where they are from and what they inspire to be when they grow up. 

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS on STAGE

The second event then involved the contestants changing into their Formal Pageant Gowns and taking a walk on the Stage with their escorts!  Escorts ranged from, dads, granddads to brothers.

On Day 3, which was the Finale Event the event began with a Dance Performance by All Jr. Pre-Teen contestants from both Maryland and Virginia.  After which the Contestants went and changed into their Formal Pageant Gowns for their final walk for the judges! 

DANCE PERFORMANCE - FINALE EVENT

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

I have attended the National American Miss pageant for 3 years and as a 3rd year attendee of The National American Miss Pageant, I am always in complete awe of the staff and each contestant I encounter at this event.  The itinerary that the parents received for the events was an outline of the day to day events and everything was organized to a T.  This is a HUGE plus considering the fact that I plan events as well and one thing that I can't stand is a disorganized event. 

Everyone knew where they needed to be and what time they needed to be there!  The ballroom, which is where the competitions took place and the finale event, had more than enough space to accommodate the contestants, their families and guests.  The decor was light and simple.  The NAM logo was present everywhere for the event with 2 large logos reflected on the stage. The event lighting was perfect for the occasion.  Less is more and sometimes the more decor you have the more clutter you have!  Outside the ballroom, parents and guests could purchase NAM products such as bags, t-shirts, jewelry, sashes and tiaras for their contestant.

The MC for the event didn't hesitate to begin the program and everything started on time and ended on time which allowed families to spend more time with their contestant.

After it was all said and done the NEW Jr. Pre-Teen National Miss for Maryland is Ms. Sha'Miyae Hinton-Knight and the NEW Jr. Pre-Teen National Miss for Virginia is Ms. Teagan Pendleton. 
   

MY OPPORTUNITY 

It is always a wonderful pleasure to come and support my Goddaughter in everything she does.  


My goddaughter has participated in this pageant event for the last 5 years!   This 9-year old Jr. Pre-Teen did exceptional well in her Personal Interview and during her Walk on the Stage.  

 She was exceptionally Gorgeous in her Silver & Red Sparkle Pageant Gown!  For a little girl that has worked hard for this event, it was a proud moment for me to see her place in the "Photogenic Contest" in the pageant amongst the other contestants. This not only made her feel good on the inside, but it also helped boost her confidence in taking part in more contests at future events!  I am proud of her, but not only is she photogenic, she is a model, an actress and a Advocate for Sickle Cell Disease. You can learn more about this exceptional pageant contestant and rock-star on Facebook under KAYDE B.  

MY TAKEAWAY:

The Platform that the National American Miss Pageant creates for young girls is one that builds unbelievable confidence.  Any self-esteem issues that were once there are resolved and each young girl that participates in this pageant finds a new found passion for their life.  Not only do this girls, meet new friends but they also build a solid Sisterhood foundation! 

I believe that events like this help shape the life of our young girls and are certainly needed on so many different levels! 

More from The Savvy Event Guru & catch my next Story on the New 2019-2020 National American Miss Maryland JR Pre-Teen Ms. Sha'Miya Hinton-Knight!

~Stephanie White

Unique venue space at George Washington University...

MORE GREAT VENUE SPACES!

On one of my wonderful site visits I had the great opportunity of visiting The Jack Morton Auditorium, located in the Dee J. Kelly Law Learning Center on the Campus of George Washington University!   

This venue is the PERFECT location and is the idea space to hold a debate, a town hall meeting and/or a press conference! 

The Auditorium 

The Space: 
This auditorium space is equipped with theatre style seating, a stage with TV screens, event lighting and a sitting area set for a talk show.  Have you seen the venue space at George Mason University yet? If you said no, Then what are you waiting for? The professional look of this space, puts me in mind of a space that could also be use as a News Station location and a Formal promotion ceremony venue.

Location: 
Though located in downtown Washington, DC this venue is a gem and very easy to find.  If traveling downtown to see this venue or to attend an event at this venue, consider using the parking garage just a block away or public transportation to get to this venue. 

Other Venue Use:
This venue is also great for viewing movies, a lecture class and a committee meeting.

The formal look of the space is inviting and shows the character of the space.  Only minutes away from food and other activities this venue is a great venue for guests.

I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing this space, when I was on my search for a venue for my client's event.  The staff were attentive and prompt.  Though we did not use this space for my client's event, I will keep this event in mind for future events and would definitely recommend the space to others.  ANOTHER great Venue location to consider in the Washington, DC Metro Area!

More from The Savvy Event Guru!
Stephanie White 

Lights Camera Action! Amazing Theatre Venue in Silver Spring MD.

VENUES & SITE VISITS!!  
As a Master Event Planner living in the Washington, DC, Maryland & Virginia Areas, it is important for me to know where some of the best event venues are in the area!!

At the End of 2018 I had the wonderful pleasure of setting up a site visit with my contacts at the Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College!

This venue is a massive 2 story Theatre with 1st floor theatre that seats 500 people, a lobby that holds 116, with plenty of space for vendors, a concession stand and bar area.  This venue has 2 theatre entries, 3 dressing rooms back stage, a green room and is complete with a large stage with 250 plus lighting fixtures and centerline white lighting. This venue also has a screen and projector that can be used to stream logos, videos or photos during your event.  In the event that you want to sell tickets on the day of your event, this venue has a "Box Office" where tickets can be sold for your event! 

THEATRE 1

 DRESSING ROOM 1 of 3

THEATRE 2

The 2nd floor of this venue is complete with a dance studio and a 2nd theatre with seating for 150.

DANCE STUDIO

PARKING
As we all know in the DMV, a venue in a downtown area may have the occasional issue of parking but NOT with this venue!  The Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College is complete with a 70-uncovered parking lot right behind the venue and a 5-level  parking garage near and for the non-drivers the Metro is only a block away!

VENUE USES:
Because of the theatre setting it is pretty obvious that this space can be used for a Theatre Play, a Concert and a Fashion Show!  There are so many other uses for this space, but those are just a few!

Back in 2014 I had the great opportunity of coordinating one of my client's weddings in a theatre such as this one and the lighting, mood and ambience was fantastic, so yes this space can also be used for Weddings.

Venue space comes a dime a dozen in the DC Metropolitan area, but not all spaces are complete with as many great amenities that the Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College has to offer! Hey so if you  are looking then take a look at this venue for your next event!

More from The Savvy Event Guru
Stephanie White

A Venue That works for just about Every Event!!!!!

On Monday June 24, 2019 I drive over to IVY CITY in Washington, DC and went for a Site Visit at The City Winery!!  I have been hearing about this venue for months and had to go check it out!



This 3 FLOOR VENUE has more character and space than what meets the eye!  The City Winery in Washington, DC is a concert venue that allows you the pleasure of ordering food and drinks while enjoying the sounds of music artists.  But as an Event Coordinator, I see so much more in this venue than just a Concert & Restaurant Space!

The Potential:
The 1st Floor consists of a large restaurant area, with a high-top bar area, a gift shop and a complimentary coat check area for guests.  This space or sections of this space, when reserved can be used for Wine Tastings, Bridal Shower gatherings and Birthday Dinners!

 The 2nd Floor Space is where the Large Stage Area is located!  This is where all the concerts take place!  With the vast amount of tables and chairs located perfectly on this level, guests are able to enjoy the concert from every angle.  This space is complete with a projector, event lighting, another high-top bar section and a large amount of space.  This 2nd floor space has the potential for Girls and/or Guys Night-out events, fashions shows, award ceremony events, benefits and fundraisers.

 The 3rd Floor Space is a more intimate space.  This space is complete with both a outside and inside area.  The outside terrace area is complete with a bar, greenery displays and plenty of space for a rooftop party or cocktail party.  High-top Cocktail tables would complete the look for this space with plenty of space for a photobooth and or buffet area.

The inside area of the 3rd Floor space is complete with a smaller stage, a bar and plenty of tables and chairs for guests.  This space can be reserved for events and is more ideal for intimate gatherings opposed to the space on the 2nd and 3rd floor.  This space has the potential use for a music recital, a rehearsal dinner, a bridal shower, small wedding ceremonies and receptions, a birthday party, a fashion show, a bridal show, a vendor event, book signings and a CD release party.  

THE CITY WINERY  in IVY CITY on Okie Street in Washington, DC is nestled right off of New York Ave and is a fantastic venue for Concerts and so much more!  Thank you to the wonderful staff at the City Winery for taking the time out of their schedule to show me their space!  For more from Stephanie White, The Savvy Event Guru see www.thesavvyeventguru.com.

The Savvy Event Guru! 

The 8th Annual Richard Wright Black Tie Gala 6.21.19.

  On Friday June 21, 2019 I had the wonderful pleasure of attending the 8th Annual Richard Wright Black Tie Gala at the University of the District of Columbia.  I was invited by a wonderful friend and at the time I had no idea how important this event was.

About the School

The Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts is a public charter high school located in Washington, DC, that focuses on developing skills in journalism and media arts, real world application and having a focus in the community. (www.richardwrightpcs.org)  The Richard Wright Public Charter High School enrolls students grades 8-12. Their aim is to transform their students into well-versed media contributors by providing a student-centered environment that connects them to a wide variety of clubs, sport activities and other opportunities that will richly enhance their lives and open up doors for them. (www.richardwrightpcs.org)

I had no idea what I was in store for when I arrived at 5:30pm on Friday June 21.

Location:
The 8th Annual Richard Wright Black Tie Gala was held at the Student Center on the campus of The University of the District of Columbia.  With it's extravagant space this venue was a great choice for this type of event.  When I arrived I was greeted by a grand RED CAPET and STEP & REPEAT for the event.  The staff at the registration table were very attentive and professional.  The theme for the evening's event was "The New Orleans Experience" so when you checked in you were given the choice of picking up items, like the beads, headwear, fur, etc. Everything from the Bar Ticket stand, the Cash bar both outside and inside and the passed appetizers on the inside were great.

The cocktail event took place in the lobby of the student center.  With the number of chairs and cocktail tables provided for the guest in this area, this was a great area for guests to hang out and listen to the entertainment.

TIP
When planning events it is always important that you consider the number of guests that will attend and consider and the ease of how guests can get to your event venue.

Entertainment:
The JukeBox Band from Atlanta, GA played during the cocktail event.  They were AMAZING!  This band played for about 2.5 hours.  They kept the crowd dancing, playing songs such as Love TKO, Casanova, Juicy Fruit and songs by artists such as Babyface, Luther Vandross and Biggie Smalls.  The singer, keyboardist, drummer and guitarist was a hit and really had amazing chemistry together. (See Stephanie White Events, instagram for video from the Juke Box band)


The Comedian:
Comedian Stacey Carver from New Jersey took the stage after the band and he was hilarious.   His jokes had you reminiscing and they had you holding your stomach because of too much laughing.  The entertainment for the Cocktail event was a real hit!

TIP
Entertainment is everything!!  As a host of an event you always want to consider how your guests could be entertainment.  How do you keep people engaged?  Great entertainment makes for a great event.

Dinner:
After all of the Cocktail Event festivities had finished we headed upstairs to the 2nd floor for dinner.  Guests had 3 choices for dinner; Chicken, Fish or Vegan.

Excellent choice on how to handle guests and their food selection.  Each guest either received a Green coin, a Yellow coin or a Purple coin, depending on what their dinner choice was.

The food was delicious!!!!  During dinner, there were several video presentations that were shown.  Each video was put together by the students from the Richard Wright Public Charter School.  The students did a phenomenal job!!!  The videos depicted real life situations that many youth encounter on a regular bases.  The video presentations were very informative and allowed guests a chance to see some of the students, though not in person, but on the screen.

TIP
When selecting food for your guest variety is good.  Remember to think about your guests and what they may or may not eat.  There are so many vegan, vegetarians and none pork eaters that attend events and it is always important to have a little something for each person to consume.

Attendees:
This event was attended by former Major Vincent Gray of Washington DC, several other council members, several media outlets including the Washington Informer.  Artist Singer & Songwriter Tonyaa also was on the scene that evening!  There were so many big name people in attendees, too many to name.  People arrived dressed in their finest gowns, dresses and tuxedos, all attending for a great cause!  By the time I left that evening I was in awe of all I experienced and all the wonderful people that I encountered.  A great time was had by all and a great event was planned and executed!!!!

THE SAVVY EVENT GURU

Planning The Wedding of Your Dreams & then Disaster Hits!! What is a Bride to Do??

PICTURE THIS; You've met the Man of your dreams, He has asked you to marry him, you moved to another state, you get a new job, you begin planning your wedding, you have the vendors you want picked out and then BOOM, you lose your job!!!!

 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE??????????

 

This type of situation has happen time and time again. And when this happens, Brides have to alter their wedding plans and make some big decisions about what to keep and what to let go!!

 

Take my Bride, who we will call Joy; She went through a similar situation last your for her June 2011 wedding. 

 

After meeting in College and continuing their state to state relationship after College, Joy and Andre, were finally ready to take that Walk down the aisle.  Because of  much stricker Job obligations, Joy and Andre thought it was better that Joy move to Tampa Florida, than to have Andre quite his job and move to the DC Metropolitan Area. 

 

Joy went ahead with the plan and left her job in Maryland and traveled the distance to Tampa Florida to be with her Fiance.  Thankfully Joy was able to find a job in the Tampa Florida area, prior to moving there.  Now Bride & Groom are ready to move forward with their wedding plans!!!

 

The Bride & Groom had decided to have their Wedding Event back in the DC Metropolitian Area.  An area in which the Bride was familiar with. A few weeks after locating to the Tampa Florida Area, Joy unexpectly lost her job.  This devastating event, SHOOK both Joy & Andre's Wedding Plans.

 

At this point in the Wedding Process Joy was faced with some BIG choices to make about her wedding vendors, etc.  This is a very hard decision for anyone who has mapped out how they would like their wedding to go! FLOWERS, CHAIR COVERS, DJ, etc!!!

 

As the Planner for my Client's wedding it was my job to make sure that Bride & Groom were still able to have the best wedding possible!!!

 

Joy stated that at the time when she lost her job, she had signed contracts already with the Florist, the Wedding planner, the  Wedding venue, the caterer and the photographer.

 

Joy also stated that she had to let go of a few extra items that she wanted to be included in her BIG DAY!!  Like for example, lounge funiture, which would be used to create a lounge scene for her & Andre's guest during their Cocktail Hour.

 

At this point Joy knew that it was important for her to look for alternative ways to execute the plans for her wedding.  Joy's Creative side had to kick in, immediately!!!  I then asked Joy what were some of the items and projects had she looked into doing on her own? Joy began the process of working on her....

• -Save the dates
• - Wedding Invitations
• -Place cards for the Reception
• -Centerpieces for the Reception
• -Programs and favors for the guest
• -bar, Menu, and bathroom signage for the event
• -Card box
• -& a personalized Aisle runner

 

 

And might I add, each item that Joy worked on, was done with such a beauty, that you would have thought that they were done professionally by an outside vendor.

 

I asked Joy the question; What were some of the places you used to pull off these projects?  

 

Joy mentioned that Michael's , Jo-Ann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby were amoungst some of the places that Joy found helpful to get the items she needed. The amount of time that Joy spent on the projects alone, was anywhere from days to weeks.  I should add that all of the preping and crafting was done in their Tampa Florida home.

 

Doing these projects at home, not only helped Joy tap into her creative side, but also helped her and Andre saved a ton of money!!

 

In times like these, We are thankful for Great Family and Friends. Joy and Andre's family pitched in and helped to make their Wedding day wonderful!!! Their family members stepped in and helped pull the event together, along with the Wedding Planner's help of course!! : )

 

When it was all said and done, I first asked Joy, "Would she had done anything differently?"  Joy's reply was "I definitely would not!!" "I learned so much about myself through the process, which has been a huge benefit to my career path". The last question I asked Joy was "What advice would you give to someone in your same situation? And Joy said "I would tell them to remain positive throughout each stage of planning and utilize all of your resources."  Ask family and friends about their special talents or skills or if they know anyone who does, ie, photography, flowers, etc. " Utilize the DIY wedding blogs such as Weddingbee or Project Wedding for great ideas and tutorials."  "And lastly, regardless of the situation you may be faced with, DO NOT LOSE sight of the most important factor.....YOUR NEW UNION!!!"

 

Joy and Andre, are now enjoying life together as husband and wife.  During this process, not only did Joy learn more about herself, but she also helped set the stage for future brides & grooms in a smiliar situation!!!

 

Look for More by Events...By Stephanie coming soon!!!

http://www.eventsbystephanie.vpweb.com/

 

 

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