When it comes to pageants, making appearances is one of the most important part of your title role. I remember when I first started competing in pageants all those years ago (no spring chicken now) and someone somewhere said you can either hang your sash on the wall and let it gather dust or wear it out until the sides fray and the crown is crocked. There is nothing worse than a beauty queen being crowned then keeping the sash as decoration for her home whilst the runner ups and other contestants are still making appearances for that pageant.
Having your sash means getting the word out there about that particular pageant, of course it also helps towards your final scores. If you were an overall winner of the pageant, the directors want to see their winner be proactive, inspiring more girls to enter next year after seeing how well the current winner has been. It also makes people aware of that pageant system, as many girls will only know about the “big” pageants, and not about the upcoming pageants unless they stalk every Facebook post!
There is nothing better than if you put all that hard work in, to be awarded the Miss Publicity sash, but that gets the question going. What is a real appearance? Is it any photo with your sash as technically that is promotion? Is it tagging that pageant in a Facebook post or sharing everything onto Facebook? Is it attending events in your sash, charity events or just promotion? And of course, does taking your sash to a nightclub or supermarket really count? Here are the big tips of the do’s and don’ts of pageant appearances:
- The appearance needs to mean something
It’s all good grabbing your sash out at any opportunity and instagramming it with a million hashtags but how does that photo relate to your journey as a pageant contestant? For example, going to a beauty salon. If you are a savvy pageant queen, you could have talked to the salon beforehand and asked for a promotion for promotion, getting discount in return for promotion their services? Or even hair/beauty sponsors? This would be accepted as an appearance as you are doing promotional work for that company and it is benefiting your journey as a pageant queen. Taking your sash on a holiday? This is where there is a fine line, if you are raising awareness for the pageant and going to a local event in that holiday then yes, but if you are on a girls holiday and want a few snaps of you in a bikini with your sash for a publicity album then does that really benefit the system? Did you do anything for the pageant apart from catch a tan and get a good selfie? Personally I think although the photo can look great, it shouldn’t count as an appearance.
- Press
That battle with the press to get the correct title, or to explain that there are more than just one pageant and one pageant queen in the town! “Do you want World Peace?” Getting in the press is a great way of making an appearance, from online magazines to the local newspaper, even national if you are lucky!! Although the press will most always likely get the wrong title, this is the perfect pageant appearance, whether it be talking about the finals or any charity work that you have done! Pageant directors will always include a press release template but always make it personal to you, and make sure you have the photographer’s permission if they don’t send a photographer themselves!!
- Charity work
This is the best kind of appearance and the reason I got into pageants, to make a difference! Charities will feel extra special that they have a local celebrity and also it raises awareness for their charity as well as your pageant title! This is also where your appearances can get creative! From paint runs, absails, gunge tanks and horse riding, to the usual charity runs, bake sales and fun days. No matter how small, these are the best kind of appearances and what being a pageant queen is all about! Most pageants have their chosen charity which is great to fundraise for, but don’t limit yourself by only raising funds for that charity if there are local charities that ask for help as not only does it count as an appearance, but it also helps raise awareness in your area!
- Double sashing
Now some pageant girls will find a pageant system and stick to it, which is amazing for both as you can find a system which suits your personality and shine through! I am most known for my work with Face of the Globe yet the press will always remember me as a former Miss Swindon (Miss England) as that was my first major title and I made a million appearances! However, there is only so much you can give, and also other pageants to try! With new pageants cropping up daily, it’s nice to see who has represented where and to give newcomers your opinions about what pageant suits best. If you are lucky enough, you might be lucky to be a finalist in two pageants at one time! This is where it can get a bit tricky. There is such a long build up to finals that dedicating yourself to one pageant alone might seem to some a waste when there are finals sooner than the one you want. You need to ask yourself, which title would I like to represent the most? Most pageants do not have a problem with multiple titles unless of course you are a regional or national winner at their finals then there will be a conflict of interest. But I digress back to appearances, should you wear two sashes from different systems at one time? Or take one picture of a sash at an appearance and then another picture exactly the same with a different sash? When asked about pageant bugs, double sashing comes up top! It’s great that you have two different titles, but having two sashes at the same time can be disrespectful to your pageant system. This also goes for wearing a different crown with your sash, some crowns are very recognisable with their sash so to mix and match can leave people confused. My advice? If that appearance has asked for your specific title then you should bring that sash and crown, yet if it is an event you have organised then you have every right to show off your achievements but when it comes to making that publicity album double sashing just looks wrong.
- Appearance
You represent your title, and you should look the part. Of course sometimes life get’s in the way and sometimes it is unavoidable, for example I’ve been asked to attend an event yet finished work 10 minutes before so naturally I have to attend in trainers and workout leggings (I’m a personal trainer). Luckily the event was a casual event, but imagine if I turned up in my workout gear to a black tie ball where I was the special guest!!! Dress for the occasion, if it’s a charity event, see if you can wear the charity’s top! If it a sporting event then workout gear is perfect, but dress for the weather as crop tops are not practical! If it is an evening event then a pageant gown would stand out but for the right reasons. This also goes for wearing your crown and sash, your crown is very delicate and maybe a 10k obstacle course would not be the right place for that twinkly tiara! Making sure your sash is nice and clean, not crumpled and presentable hair/make up makes sure that for one your photos will turn out amazing but also that you are giving the best representation for yourself as well as the pageant brand.
- Social media
Does Facebook really count as an appearance? For a society where everything is social media based, there are pros and cons about social media with pageants. Your personal Facebook is an indication about what sort of person you portray yourself, so if you are competing in a pageant be aware what you upload! However, this is where pageant like pages come into play! I have a Facebook page purely dedicated to my pageant antics, from promotion of pageants, charities, to sharing my journey with all my “fans”. I also have a personal Facebook in which I mostly share funny dog pictures. I would not include my personal page in my publicity album, however my pageant page I would as I share everything pageant related. Does every share I make and every status update on this pageant count as an appearance? And what if I share all these updates onto the pageants page and groups? I think the answer should be no, the page in itself is an appearance but I could share anything from what I had for dinner and that shouldn’t count towards my final scores. The same goes for Instagram and Twitter. Putting on my sash, taking pictures in my room, uploading and then tagging and sharing does not make an appearance unless for example it’s a Facebook awareness campaign (like the anti bullying week, etc) or blogs which is a great way of getting across to others about the pageant system and what you are doing to raise awareness.
- A Directors opinion
“An appearance to me, is when the finalist shows they have been to, or held an event and put some hard work and effort into whatever it is they're doing. Be it promoting, fundraising - or both! I like to see appearances that have three or four photos, of the finalist actively working or promoting their system at the event. So it's not just a "quick, pop your sash on and take a photo, we'll make it an appearance" I love to see publicity folders that have had time and effort put into them too, I've seen some really stunning ones”
Katherine Harris of Miss Catwalk Perfect UK, with the grand finals in September
