Tanya C. Ellis, Gleaner Writer

From left: Kevin Thompson, CEO of La Face Model Agency; Marie Kashie-Allen, CEO of Nevash Productions and Lachu Ramchandani, the CEO of the Miss Jamaica Global Pageant attend the competition's launch at Hilton Kingston hotel, New Kingston, recently. - Winston Sill/freelance Photographer

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB)-endorsed - Miss Jamaica Global Beauty Pageant 2008 was launched recently at the Hilton hotel New Kingston.

Lachu Ramchandani, owner and CEO of the four-year-old competition, officially joined forces with La Face Modeling Agency and its directors to host the Jamaican leg of the pageant. Approximately 24 ladies will compete for the title at the local finals which will be held at the Hilton hotel on May 25.

The prizes are expected to exceed US$10, 000 and should include an all-expense-paid trip to England for the Miss Global International finals, 1,000 pounds sterling spending money and a cellular phone from Digicel.

"There is a lot more than the usual in store for the competition this year," said La Face's Kevin Thompson.

Reality television show

He added: "We will be producing a reality television show documenting everything from the beauty search to the elimination to the grand finals in the UK. One of the challenges which we will focus on overcoming this year is to popularise the pageant, the reality show is just a part of the strategy we will use to maximise the pageant's platform while enhancing global growth."

Said Ramchandani: "My intention is to unite the world through beauty and tourism with this pageant. After the UK finals this year, I plan on taking the finals to The Bahamas in 2009 before taking it home to Jamaica in 2010. By then, I expect the pageant to be on par with Miss World and Miss Universe."