Contestant Info & Rules: Long Beach & Southern California Cities pageants

The pageant was , Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, 6 p.m.
The Grand Long Beach Event Center - Grand Ball Room
4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach, 90815.
Dress: upscale trendy or formal.
Free parking.

- Each titleholder will receive a $3,000 appearance contract. Was $1,500 last year.
This is a prestigious, stylish event that will crown "Southern California Cities" and "Long Beach" titleholders in four divisions:
- Little Miss ( ages 6-10)
- Teen (ages 13-18)
- Miss (ages 19-29)
- Mrs. (age 21+, currently married)
Pageant day will culminate in The Grand Ballroom at The Grand Long Beach Event Center with an exciting and elegant event that brings seasoned competitors, as well as first-time delegates to the stage. The pageant is presented by Justin Rudd, his nonprofit 501c3 "Community Action Team (C.A.T.)" and The Grand Long Beach Events Center.
- Contestants can be accepted into the pageant until noon on pageant day.

ENTRY FEE

- Little Miss/Teen/Miss/Mrs, $100 if paid at least two weeks in advance; or $200 at least a week in advance; $300 the week (til Fri. before) of the pageant; or $400 the weekend of the pageant.
- Additionally, each contestant is required to sell at least $100 in tickets by at least 24-hours before the pageant begins. Tickets will be on sale in the lobby at The Grand Long Beach Event Center during regular daytime hours starting two weeks before the pageant. Payable with check to "CAT" or cash. Or, order tickets online using credit card by clicking the "tickets" tab above. If a contestant only sells $90 worth of tickets, she will owe the pageant $10 on pageant morning. All tickets will be picked-up at will-call on pageant day.
- Ticket price includes admission to the after-party (adults & teens only).
- No refunds or transfers of entry fees or ticket sales.
- There is no printed program book, and subsequently, no required ad sales.

TO QUALIFY
- "Southern California Cities" contestants must live, work or attend school in Southern California.
- "Long Beach" contestants must live, work or attend school in Long Beach and/or the Long Beach Unified School District.
- Delegates who live, work, or go to school in Long Beach are eligible to receive the "Long Beach" and "Southern California Cities" titles.

mary maldonado

WHAT TO "NOT" EXPECT
- no rehearsals before pageant day.
- no required orientations.
- no opening number or choreography, and no talent competition.
- no required platforms (social issues or causes), but a contestant is welcome to have one or more platforms.
- no political or religious questions from our judges.
- no height, weight, or sexual orientation requirement.
- NOTE Little Miss delegates may not wear makeup and may not enhance themselves with false teeth, lashes, hair extensions, spray tans, etc. This is a "natural" Little Miss pageant.
- We welcome non-conventional contestants, including unusual hair style/color, piercings, tattoos.

Little Miss parents
Every person at the pageant will need to purchase ticket to get in. Standing room tickets start at $20. We will have volunteers watching over the Little Miss contestants all day. One parent of each Little Miss is welcome to be with their child in the dressing area during the pageant and at rehersal. We do not allow Little Miss parents backstage behind the curtain during the pageant, except if/when they are escorting their child during the evening wear/party dress part of the contest.

judges

ELEMENTS OF COMPETITION
- personal interview - 25%
- evening wear (party dress for Little Miss) - 25%
- swimwear (sarongs are optional; casual wear for Little Miss) - 25%
- The remaining 25% of each preliminary score will come from pageant staff and perhaps a few former titleholders.

Interview
Interview is an approx. 2 1/2-minute (Little Miss is 2-minute) private conversation with the contestant and each judge. The judges will have read a 1-page info sheet about you that you will provide prior to your interview. They will ask you questions about yourself. They will be looking for articulate and concise responses, comfort level, charm, personality, first impression, and self-confidence. All contestants should wear an age appropriate pants- or skirt-suit proper for an interview. 25% of preliminary score.

On-stage Introduction
All contestants will introduce themselves on-stage for max. 20 seconds, in the same outfit she wore in the interview room. There are no particular requirements for this intro, other than finishing it with "from (city where you live, work or attend school), I am contestant # (your contestant number), (first name, last name)." Not scored, but judges will see. Please do not exceed 20 seconds.

Christy

Swimwear
The Teen/Miss/Mrs. judges will be looking for energy, confidence, and physical fitness. Swimwear can be a 1- or 2-piece in any color or pattern. Contestants may also utilize a sarong. Swimwear must be in good taste, and no thongs are allowed. Little Miss will wear casual outfits, not swimwear. 25% of preliminary score.

Evening wear
Teen/Miss/Mrs. will wear an outfit that she would wear to a big night out on the town, any style, age-appropriate, tasteful. Little Miss should wear a party outfit of her choice (i.e. something she would wear to church or a wedding). Judges will be evaluating stage presence, poise, composure and overall presentation. Contestants will be escorted by their father, husband, wife or another influential figure in her life. Escorts will need to purchase a ticket and sit in the audience, and should come backstage right after the swimsuit competition ends. We can provide an escort, upon request, if one is needed. It is preferred that Mrs. contestants be escorted by their spouse. 25% of preliminary score.

FINALISTS
Approx. 6-8 finalists are expected to be announced in each division and will include "Southern California Cities" and "Long Beach" candidates with the highest preliminary scores.

LittleMissSouthernCalifornia2011

FINAL QUESTION
The finalists will be given an on-stage question(s)/interview from the host/emcee and will be judged on her speaking ability, confidence and ability to think quickly to express herself. The final balloting will take into consideration the finalist's answer to the question(s) and her overall impression on the judges throughout the competition.

Last Year's Pageant Photos on Facebook 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
On Facebook:
- Little Miss/Teen/MissMrs. Long Beach
- Little Miss/Teen/MissMrs. Southern California Cities

WHAT'S NEW IN RECENT YEARS
- New pageant owner: Justin Rudd's nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team bought the Miss Long Beach Pageant from the Long Beach Junior Chamber;
- New pageant director Justin Rudd is a pageant expert (PageantStar.com), with 20+ years as a pageant coach, director, emcee and judge;
- new upscale venue at The Grand Long Beach Event Center (three-year pageant partnership with The Grand Long Beach Event Center and Ryan Choura of Choura Events);
- more total prize money/appearance contract ($24,000 for the Nov. 2011 pageant);
- added "Southern California Cities" titles, as well as divisions for Mrs. and Little Miss contestants (total of 8 titles);
- widened the age range in the Miss division from 17-26 to 19-29;
- gotten rid of all rehearsals and mandatory pre-pageant meetings/seminars, even though we will have two optional one-hour orientations;
- removed the opening number;
- discontinued the program book and the contestants' previous requirement of program book ad sales;
- cut the entry fee by 75% if paid at least two weeks before pageant (was $400 in 2008; now just $100 if paid at least two weeks before pageant);
- reduce required tickets sales by contestants in half (was $200 worth in sales in 2008, now just $100)
- allowing contestants to wear swim wear (not necessarily a 1-piece or 2-piece), and allowing an optional sarong;
- implementing an appearance contract for each titleholder -- giving them the option to make appearances in which appearance fees will accrue. In years past, the titleholders received their prize money, regardless of the number of appearances she attended;
- plentiful free parking;
- after-party held on-site (free for teen/adult delegates and each teen/adult ticketholder);
- delegates will be escorted during evening wear competition by their fathers or other important family member or friend (Mrs. escorted, preferably, by their spouse).
MissTeenSouthernCalifornia2011

- NEW in 2011: contestants can wear evening wear (long gowns are no longer mandatory).
- NEW in 2011: widened the age range for Little Miss: Was "Grades 1 & 2." Now "ages 6-10."
- NEW in 2011: widened the age range for Teen: Was "ages 14-18." Now "ages 13-18."
- NEW in 2011: increased appearance contracts from $1,500 to $3,000 each titleholder.

PAYMENT OPTIONS
Check or money order payable to "CAT," c/o Justin Rudd, 5209 E. The Toledo #1, Long Beach, CA 90803. If you are not accepted as a contestant because of eligibility, your payment will be returned to you. Once accepted and check is deposited, fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

SPONSORS
We've lowered the advance entry fee by 75% (compared to 2008), so that contestants don't have to go get sponsorship money. Pageant contestants may personally pay the entry fee or acquire sponsors to pay the entry fee. Feel free to ask businesses and family members to support your endeavor. Be creative and start with businesses you patronize like your insurance provider, place of employment, dentist, stylist, etc. Sponsors should make their checks out to the contestant, who will then write a check or money order payable to CAT.

ORIENTATION (optional)
There is one optional orientation for delegates that will last one hour at The Grand Long Beach Event Center. You can register and pay entry fees at this event, purchase tickets, and ask questions.
- Sun., Oct. 23, 6 p.m., The Grand

PAGEANT DAY