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8/28/09:
 
Taken from Missosology.org,
 
Two days after the crowning of a new Miss Universe and a day before it finally leaves the Bahamas, the MUO called on a high level staff meeting behind closed doors in one of the Atlantis Resort’s function rooms. The principal objective of the meeting was simple: provide a post production/post-event evaluation of the just concluded pageant. As a part of the “wardrobe crew” of this year’s Miss Universe pageant, I had the privilege of joining the exclusive meeting and “in the interest of the truth,” would now want to share with the public some of the things that I found out.

TRUMP AND MUO

Officers and staff of the MUO (including Paula) aren’t very happy with the way the results are formulated year after year after year. Most of them feel really bad how pageant fans the world over react negatively to the MUO’s supposed choices, especially since the final results declared on pageant night aren’t exactly reflective of the real list that preliminary judges come up with. Paula even commented, “pageant fans aren’t blind. They have a good feel of who are in and who are not.” She even feels for deserving contestants who get booted out by the so-called Trump ladies and has admitted to feeling very uncomfortable having to look at these ladies’ supporters straight in the eye and give them an explanation for an obvious injustice. The fact that there were no Asians in this year’s Final 15 made Paula shake her head in disappointment saying “there’s just no way for us to deny that some of our results were somehow fixed. We could have at least had token spots.” No matter how difficult, at the end of the day, Paula just chooses to stand by what her boss wants and be the pro that she is! Based on what I heard during the meeting, however, discontent over Trump’s management of the MUO is growing.

TRUMP CARDS

No matter how hard they deny it or even cover up the existence of a Trump list, let it be said that Mr. Trump truly does a selection of his own favorites. This was thoroughly discussed during the meeting. In this year’s edition of the Miss Universe Pageant, five Top 15 ladies were taken out of the list to give way to Mr. Trump’s personal choices. Statuesque Ms. Vietnam was one of them. Even worse was the case of the Philippines, which already had three delegates taken out of the semifinal list in three editions of the Trump organized Miss Universe Pageant. India is another country that is slowly losing its steam as far as Mr. Trump is concerned. Mr. Trump once commented that Indian women are “way too smart and not very sexy.”

IT IS ALL BUSINESS

While pageant fanatics may consider exclusion of their ladies as an act of racism or personal bias, the truth about the selection of Miss Universe winners under the Trump franchise is that this is all based on business. Check out the global footprint of the Trump Organization’s Real Estate, Hotel and Golf Club businesses. It will be easy to correlate their locations to the winners of his pageant. Aside from having these types of developments all over the USA, Mr. Trump has real estate projects in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic (it should no longer surprise you why Dominican Republic has been very successful in penetrating the top 5 almost yearly, with Amelia Vega as a recent winner); Toronto, Canada (of course Natalie’s crown was a fitting “thank you”); Seoul, Soth Korea (Honey Lee’s second runner up finish was close); Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (okay, this is just so obvious—Puerto Rico’s almost assured of a top 5 slot yearly); and Dubai, UAE (well, he can’t do much about this given the UAE’s Muslim tradition). Other countries, which may be allotted regular spots in the Miss Universe final selection are: Panama (for Mr. Trump’s projects in Panama City); Scotland (he’s got developments in Aberdeen); and Turkey (to support his interests in Istanbul). Of course, token spots may also be granted for Miss Universe sponsors, as in the cases of BSC (Thailand) and Mikimoto (Japan). To pageant fans, never ever forget that Mr. Trump is a businessman, a shrewd one. As a business partner, I’d even say he’s good. He knows how to match a partner’s generosity and kindness (quid pro quo)—and the easiest way for him is through his Miss Universe franchise.


I guess that’s all I am allowed to share. You know how things are run in this pageant now. As for me, my job here’s done—I guess. I’ve decided to tender my resignation after this whole thing is over. I am glad to have shared this with all of you.
 
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8/25/09:
 
Photos from last night's pageant
 
 
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8/24/09:
 
Miss Venezuela Universe wins Miss Universe 2009, unbelievable though!
 
Venezuela, often a powerhouse at Miss Universe sends Stefania Fernandez this year. Many pageant experts have ranked her as a top 10 finalist, at best the top 5.
However..... she did the impossible tonight. She became Venezuela's sixth Miss Universe. Although I am happy that a country has won back to back (no country has won back to back), I am shocked that she won over Miss Dominican Republic Universe, Ada Aimee de la Cruz..... Ada was leading during tonight's pageant (second in swimsuit, first in evening gown). She also gave the best answer (in my opinion). However.... she lost. The curse continues... no Miss World semifinalist has ever won Miss Universe and Ada almost broke the curse..
 
Venezuela, although very beautiful and gave a great performance, came from the bottom to win... she was 4th in swimsuit, and 5th in evening gown. And she won! This is unbelievable... Venezuela has produced six Miss Universes now..... and despite Europeans dominating the top 15 (nine semifinalists were Europeans), they had no chance... maybe Kosovo should of won... although I did not had her in my list.
 
However, they are somethings to be happy about. China wins their second Miss Congeniality! Very happy for her. Dominican Republic also places in the top 5 for the second consecutive time (4th time in 7 years) and of course Venezuela for winning again (third consecutive top 5 placement). Kosovo also did a great job, she went on to be second runner up (beating out favorite Australia and Puerto Rico). Congratulations Kosovo!!
 
Hopefully European delegates do not withdraw next year. Although I feel that a European should of won this year, the unexcepted has occurred - another Latina and Venezuela win. Will Venezuela win the 7th time and third time consecutively next year?? Time will tell... The final results are listed below.
 
Miss Universe 2009 Results:
Winner: Venezuela
1st runner up: Dominican Republic
2nd runner up: Kosovo
3rd runner up: Australia
4th runner up: Puerto Rico
 
Top 10 Finalists (6th to 10th place): France, South Africa, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and USA
 
Top 15 Semifinalists (11th to 15th place): Albania, Belgium, Sweden, Croatia, and Iceland
 
Special Awards:
Miss Congeniality: China
Miss Photogenic: Thailand
Best National Costume: First: Panama, Second: Nicaragua, Third: Thailand
 
Final Telecast Scores:
Swimsuit:
7. Puerto Rico: 8.533
15. Iceland: 7.730
11. Albania: 7.900
9. Czech Republic: 8.350
12. Belgium: 7.870
2. Dominican Republic: 9.189
13. Sweden: 7.830
3. Kosovo: 8.790
1. Australia: 9.264
5. France: 8.640
6. Switzerland: 8.611
8. South Africa: 8.460
10. USA: 8.060
14. Croatia: 7.811
4. Venezuela: 8.760
 
Evening Gown:
4. Australia: 9.039
5. Venezuela: 8.869
7. South Africa: 8.040
1. Dominican Republic: 9.428
2. Kosovo: 9.250
8. Czech Republic: 8.010
9. Switzerland: 7.890
3. Puerto Rico: 9.050
10. USA: 7.550
6: France: 8.650
 
Legend:
Orange means that the delegate was the leader of the competition
Red means that the delegate was eliminated after the swimsuit competition, placed 11th -15th place
Blue means that the delegate was eliminated after the evening gown competition, placed 6th - 10th place 
 
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8/23/09:
 
Miss Turks and Caicos Universe withdraws from pageant
Yesterday, Miss Turks and Caicos Universe, Jewel Selver withdrawed from the pageant after a reported case of dehydration. The 5'1" contestant has competed at the preliminaries and was predicted to win Miss Congeniality.
 
Congratulations on Jewel for doing a good job in the preliminaries and may she recover soon. It has been announced by Esther Swan that her pre-taped portions will appear during the two hour telecast.
 
Coronation Ball viewed LIVE on missuniverse.com!
For the first time ever, the coronation ball after the pageant would be viewed online! Courtesy of , the coronation ball can be viewed at 11 p.m. EST, right after the show ends. Watch as the contestants receive their prizes and awards, and the newly crowned Miss Universe speak!
 
Miss Universe 2009 Final Predictions
Hard, hard, hard... This year's Miss Universe is a unpredictable year. There is no clear front runner, and any contestant can win (depends on their final performance tonight). But pageant fans have greatly agreed that the favorites to win tonight's crown are Dominican Republic, France, and Australia. Czech Republic, USA, Netherlands, and South Africa are also likely to pull off a win.
 
With that said, all seven of them will likely make the cut. As for the other eight semifinalists, they are most likely from:
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, Japan, Mexico, Hungary, Honduras, and China
 
The list seems very similar right? Actually, 11 of the 15 semifinalists are from last year's semifinalist list. PB thinks it can be possible that 11 countries can make it again.
However, some countries have also send strong contestants and all of them can be picked by Mr. Trump OR scored high in the preliminaries. They include the contestants from Philippines, Guatemala, Colombia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Ghana, Angola, Vietnam, Iceland, Ireland, Ecuador, and Belgium
 
Thus, PB has chosen these 15 contestants that will make tonight's first cut. They are (in random order):
Dominican Republic, France, USA, Australia, Czech Republic, South Africa, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Hungary, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Japan, and Ukraine
 
Alternates, darkhorses, surprises (in random order): China, Guatemala, Bahamas (host delegate), Indonesia, Angola, Ghana, Belgium, Mexico, Vietnam, Iceland, Philippines, Costa Rica and Ireland
 
 
 
Miss Universe 2009 Final Predictions:
Winner: France
1st runner up: USA
2nd runner up: Dominican Republic
3rd runner up: Australia
4th runner up: Czech Republic
Top 10 Finalists (6th to 10th place): Netherlands, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and South Africa
Top 15 Semifinalists (11th to 15th place): Honduras, Japan, China, Hungary, and Ukraine
 
Alternates, darkhorses, surprises (possible Trump picks, 16th to 26th place): Mexico, Ecuador, Vietnam, Iceland, Belgium, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Spain, Colombia, Philippines, and Bahamas
 
Special Awards:
Miss Photogenic: Thailand, Vietnam, or Philippines
Miss Congeniality: Spain
 
Pageant Beauties' Awards:
PB's Miss Universe 2009: France
Best Preliminary Performance: USA
Best In Swimsuit: Australia
Best In Evening Gown: France
Viewers' Choice (hand picked this year): Dominican Republic
Best National Costume: China
Miss Photogenic: Netherlands
Best Interview: Australia (USA is second)
 
PB wishes all the delegates the best! May the best girl win.
 
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8/21/09:
 
Miss Universe 2009 Competition coming closer, more preliminary competition thoughts
 
The 58th Miss Universe Pageant is coming in two days. Time really flies! All preliminary competition is over, and the list of top 15 semifinalists is being assembled.
 
After watching the preliminary competition once again via NBC (), PB has came up with a list of introduction, swimsuit, and evening gown standouts. These countries would most likely make the cut. Here they are:
 
Introduction standouts: Angola, Australia, Bahamas, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guam, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Philippines, Slovenia, Turks and Caicos, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zambia
 
Swimsuit standouts: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines (lots of confidence), Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Ukraine, USA, Venezuela, and Vietnam
 
Evening Gown standouts: Angola, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, USA (great turns and twirls), Venezuela (too red), and Vietnam
 
There are some delegates that did not do as well... Germany tripped when walking down the stairs during the swimsuit competition, and Egypt, Tanzania, and Zambia tripped while walking in evening gown.
It should be worthy to note that the past two Miss USAs have fell during the evening gown competition... will Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton fall? Most likely it will not occur three years in a row....... but still have to watch out.
 
Similar to the Miss Hong Kong 2009 Pageant, this year, there are no clear front runners. It can be anybody's game. Most likely the scores will not be as high as last year (i.e. Miss Taliana Vergas of Colombia scoring a 9.829 in evening gown).
 
PB has came up with a big list of Mr. Trump picks. He and the MUO will select six out of the 15 semifinalists. They can be any of the below:
 
Belgium, Ethiopia, Guam, Indonesia, Ireland, Honduras, Great Britain, Peru, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, Switzerland, South Africa, and Bahamas
 
Note: Highest possibility highlighted in red. Misses Guam and Ireland also did well at the preliminaries and could make it (if excluding the sash factor).
 
Some delegates might make it due to the sash factor (although they did not fare as well as previous titleholders, or other contestants): India, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela
 
Next are PB's current top 15 favorites. They are (1st to 15th place):
 
France, USA, Australia, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Honduras, Venezuela, Japan, China, Indonesia, and Spain
 
Bubbling Up (16th to 25th place): South Africa, Hungary, Ukraine, Ireland, Guam, Belgium, Philippines, Iceland, Colombia, and Singapore
 
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8/19/09:
 
Miss Universe contestants rehearse for finals
After the preliminaries held on Sunday, the 84 contestants met with the panel of preliminary judges in groups of two. They were asked personal questions and their responses determined if they would make the top 15.
 
The contestants have pretaped their introductions for the opening. Photos of each contestant can be viewed on Global Beauties (). The contestants will also spend the upcoming days to rehearse for the pageant.
 
Online Miss Photogenic voting is open. Go to the link below to pick your favorite!
 
Each e-mail address can submit one vote only. Up to three contestants can be selected through one vote.
 
PB's thoughts: Although PB believes that it is better to have photographers select the winner, it is not bad that the award is being handed out this year. It would be better though if a portion of photographer votes and the votes gets added with the internet votes. 
 
PB believes that most likely this year's Miss Photogenic would be any contestant from Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, China, or India.
 
 
PB's Current top 15 favorites (1st to 15th place): Netherlands, Australia, USA, Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Mexico, Belgium, Japan, Ukraine, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Venezuela, Hungary, Spain, and Honduras
 
Bubbling Up (16th to 25th place): Iceland, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Philippines, China, Indonesia, Colombia, Great Britain, Canada, and Bahamas
 
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8/18/09:
 
Panama wins Best National Costume, Guatemala wins Miss Universe River Race
 
Although the Miss Universe Best National Costume Competition was held a week ago, no winner was announced. It was presumed that the winner would be announced during the final night. However, days ago (during a charity event), Miss Panama Universe, Diana Broce was announced as the winner of the Best National Costume. Miss Broce's victory marks Panama's third win for the award - Panama also won the award in 1986 and 2004.
 
Second place went to Miss Nicaragua Universe and Miss Thailand Universe finished third.
 
Two days ago, the 84 contestants took part in a competition before the preliminaries - Miss Universe River Race. The 84 contestants were split into four groups - Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Red. The five fastest delegates in each group advanced to the next round. From that top 20 group, the top three winners were determined. They were: Misses Guatemala Universe (Lourdes Figueroa), Iceland, and Albania who took gold, silver, and bronze respectively. All the winners were given a medal, very similar to the Olympics and to the Miss World Sports Competition, a fast track Miss World event.
 
Congratulations to all winners!
 
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8/17/09:
 
Preliminary Competition successfully ends yesterday night
 
Yesterday night in the Imperial Ballroom in Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, 84 contestants competed in BSC Swimwear Swimsuits and evening gowns. At the end of the night, a distinguished panel of judges will choose 15 semifinalists (six of whom will be replaced by the MUO and Mr. Donald Trump). Private interviews, the third portion of the preliminary competition will be conducted today and tomorrow.
 
After watching the preliminary competition, many contestants arose to be top 15 possibilities while some favorites did not perform as well as excepted.
 
After watching the competition live courtesy of Ustream, PB has some thoughts on the contestants.
 
 
Photos courtesy of Miss China Organization.
 
 
Pleasant surprises yesterday: Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Philippines, Nicaragua, Ireland, and China
 
Many contestants tried their best yesterday. One of them includes Miss Turks and Caicos Universe. Despite being the shortest contestant, she worked out her gown and body. However, PB thinks that she has a low chance of making the cut.
The seven delegates above did very good last night. They shined and could possibly make the cut. Each of them had energy on stage, stage presence, and worked out their gowns. Other contestants that also shined yesterday night were Miss Ghana, Slovak Republic, and Honduras.
 
Photo courtesy of Miss Universe Organization.
 
Then there are contestants that really performed well. PB would want to personally mention Miss USA, Kristen Dalton's performance last year. She may not be the tallest contestant, but certainly worked her best last night. Her gown was not a bad choice and her swimsuit performance was fairly good. Some contestants which are major favorites: Dominican Republic, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela did not perform their best though... However PB believes that they will make the cut. All of them possess the beautiful look and although did not really shine in the preliminaries, their performances were really consisent.
 
 
Disappoinments: Unfortunately there were some delegates that did not live up to their support. Some delegates did not perform their best and rather lacked energy. One delegate is Hungary. She has a great look but her swimsuit presentation was lackluster. Miss Venezuela (although PB is pretty sure she will make it) did not do so well in the evening gown competition. Her red gown doesn't match what the traditional Miss Venezuela wears. Her hand movements weren't very elegant... Miss Japan could of performed a little better... The other delegates didn't make a impacting impression on me.
 
Some other favorites which include Iceland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Belgium seem to be safe. Misses Spain, Costa Rica, Russia, and South Africa seem to be potential top 15 alternates.
 
Without ranking all the 84 delegates in scores (due to the little amount of time left until the pageant), PB comes up with a top 15 preliminary competition list based on watching the preliminaries solemnly. They include (1st to 15th place):
 
USA, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Australia, Czech Republic, France, Mexico, Philippines, Venezuela, South Africa, Ukraine, Spain, and China
 
Top 25 Alternates (16th to 25th place): Guatemala, Ireland, Nicaragua, Ghana, Japan, Russia, Slovak Republic, Costa Rica, India, and Belgium 
 








 
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8/14/09:
 
Swimsuit Competition and National Costume Presentation has no winners
 
Over the week in the Bahamas, the 84 contestants showcased beautiful BSC Swimwear swimsuits and their national costumes. However, NO winner for either competition was announced. Suprisingly, both competitions were just to showcase their beauty and a preparation for the upcoming Presentation Show (The Preliminaries).
 
It is unconfirmed whether or not the Best National Costume award will be presented. However, the winner of the award maybe announced during the final night (i.e. Miss Universe 2006). For photos of the contestants in national costumes and swimsuits, visit:
 
NBC officially launched their Miss Universe 2009 website. Visit it here:
 
Voting for Miss Photogenic will be open on the NBC website soon. Stay tuned! ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTICE is that Miss Universe 2009's Presentation Show will be telecasted LIVE on the internet on August 16, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST.
 
Be show to watch the Presentation Show! Nine of the 15 semifinalists will be selected here. Six will be picked by Mr. Donald Trump and the Miss Universe Organization.
 
Next on the list of Miss Universe news is the list of preliminary judges. This year's judges for the Presentation Show are:
 
Steven Schillaci, Talent Producer for many hit shows including American Idol; Best Buddies Talent Executive
Mark Wylie; Last Call with Carson Daly Executive Producer
David Friedman; Trump Model Management President
Corinne Nicolas; Hollywood Choreographer of Oxygen’s Dance Your Ass Off
Mario Mosle;
Tiza Tjokroadisumarto, Director of Retail Operations, Michael Kors (USA). Courtesy of Miss Universe, L.P., LLLP
 
The judges will have a tough time picking out the list of semifinalists. Good luck to every delegate.
 
 
PB's Current list of Miss Universe 2009 favorites (1st to 15th place): Australia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Venezuela, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, USA, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Iceland, and India
 
Bubbling Up (16th to 20th place): Vietnam, Singapore, Spain, Honduras, and Philippines
 
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8/9/09:
 
The Miss Universe 2009 Competition has offically kicked off! 84 contestants representing their countries has arrived in the Bahamas. This is the highest number of contestant participation since 2006 and ties the 1999 record.
 
Here is some news articles (Courtesy of at Herald Sun and Star News Online):
 
MISS Universe Australia Rachael Finch has a new friend for life - even though she talks in her sleep.

Her roommate during the 2009 Miss Universe pageant is none other than Miss USA, Kristen Dalton, who picked to share the room with her Australian counterpart.

"As soon as I walked in the room to meet her for the first time, she greeted me with a huge hug and a very loud hello," Ms Finch said.

"I later discovered she chose to room with me.

"It's a privilege to be rooming with Miss USA as all the women from the US pageant are extremely smart and highly polished for international pageants."

The pair are just two of 84 contestants who have taken over Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, for weeks of lead-up appearances and events before Miss Universe 2009 is chosen on August 23.

Ms Finch described her newfound friend as wonderful. "She is beautiful, smart and very cute," she said.

"She actually talks in her sleep too."

After her trip to The Bahamas, Ms Finch could soon be seen on television screens around the nation, as part of the coming series of Celebrity MasterChef.

According to a source close to the model, Ms Finch has been in talks with Channel 10 to compete in the show.

Monday night the beauty queens will showcase their national costumes before the first round of judging takes place on Sunday.

Rumours have circulated that judges will not only pick a top 15 from the preliminary round, but will allow an extra contestant into the semi-finals, who will be voted on by the people of the Bahamas through newspaper and SMS voting.

The semi-finalists will not be announced until Sunday, August 23, when Miss Universe 2009 will be crowned.

PB's Comments: This year's contestants are very different from previous years. There is no true standout from the crowd and anyone can come out to win. It all depends on their preliminary competition performance. With that said, here is the first list of PB's favorites for Miss Universe 2009:

First is the list of safe contestants:

Dominican Republic, USA, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico

Dominican Republic has been the number one favorite since her national winner. She was also a Miss World 2007 Top 15 Semifinalist (Beach Beauty winner). She is a safe bet to make the cut. USA has only missed the semifinals three times (1976, 1999, and 2002) during the 58 year beauty pageant. Kristen seems prepared to deliver it. She will make the top 15, but she will need to fully work it out during the final competition in order to make the top 5.

Venezuela is the powerhouse at Miss Universe and Stefania is also strong. She is not the standout of the pageant, but is a favorite. She will also need to try very hard in order to keep the crown in the South American country. Same goes for the country of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico also sends a beautiful contestant this year but she will need to try harder in order to keep the 8 year streak from going (1985, 1993, and 2001). And if last year's stunning Ingrid Rivera failed to make it, it will not be a big surprise if Mayra Matos fails.

Contestants from Australia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Japan, Netherlands, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Colombia, and Russia follows in our list of top 15 favorites.

PB has also starting to notice Miss Singapore for her sweet personality and Miss China for her tall height. They may pull a surprise and make the cut. Overall Asia and Africa are the weakest group of contestants this year. However, some contestants of the group will make the cut.

PB's Current Top 15 favorites (1st to 15th place): Dominican Republic, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Puerto Rico, Australia, USA, Venezuela, Japan, Netherlands, Hungary, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Russia, and Colombia

Bubbling Up (16th to 20th place): France, Belgium, Guam, Singapore, and China

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7/5/09:
 
The Miss Universe 2009 pageant will be held in app. two months! About 75 delegates have been chosen, with some countries returning: Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Guyana, Iceland, Lebanon, Northern Marianas, Romania, Sweden, and Zambia. Especially Romania having the distinction of returning to the pageant since 1998. It is predicted that 86 delegates will compete, meaning that this year will have the largest number of contestants (86, tied with 2006).
 
Here is a schedule of events for the delegates:
 
Date Event
August 1 - 3 Arrivals and Registration
Official Photography
August 5 Location Filming
Visit to the Ardastra Gardens
Tour of Port Charlotte
Tour of Clifton Heritage Site and Sacred Space
Visit Arawak Cay (Fish Fry)
August 6 Visit the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas
Courtesy Call on the Governor General
Tea Party at the Government House
August 7 Downtown Casual Shopping and Photo-ops
Display of Bahamian Arts and Crafts in Rawson Square
Welcome Dinner
August 8 Exuma - Bimini Bay Resort
Tour of Moriah Harbour Cay and Elizabeth Harbour
Stocking Island
Visit to Fountain of Youth and Shark Lab
August 9 Tour of Garden of the Groves and photo-ops
Port Lucaya Marketplace
Swimsuit Presentation, Grand Bahama Island (given the Best Figure award)
August 10 Motorcade through New Providence (1 pm)
National Costume Competition, Rainforest Theater, Wyndham Hotel
August 11 Harbour Island - Tour of island by golf cart
Beach and leisure activities at Coral Sands
Abaco, Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay
August 12 Junkanoo Summer Festival (afternoon)
Miss Universe 2009 Fashion Show with local designers, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort (Cable Beach)
August 13 Delegates' National Gift Charity Auction, Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort (Cable Beach)
August 14 - 15 Rehearsals
Location Filming
August 16 Miss Universe 2009 Presentation Show
August 17 - 18 Preliminary Interviews with the panel of judges
Rehearsals
August 19 - 22 Rehearsals
National Director Meeting
August 23 Dress Rehearsal (noon)
Live Telecast (9 pm EST)
Coronation Ball (11 pm)
August 24 Departures
 
Note: Dates are subject to change.
 
Stay tuned for more trivia and news.
 
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3/5/09:
 
THE BAHAMAS TO HOST THE 2009 MISS UNIVERSE® PAGEANT
AUGUST 30th LIVE ON NBC

NEW YORK, NY – March 4, 2009 -- Donald J. Trump, NBC Universal and Paula M. Shugart, President, Miss Universe Organization, announced today that the 58th Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Competition will air live from Paradise Island, Bahamas.  The glamorous live event, featuring some of the world’s most beautiful women, will take place at Atlantis, Paradise Island resort and air live on NBC and Telemundo on Sunday, August 30th this summer.

“Paradise. There is no better name for the beauty of the Bahamas and this island,” said Paula M. Shugart.  “The worldwide telecast will highlight the warmth, beauty and hospitality of the Islands of the Bahamas as well as the world renowned Atlantis resort.  We have had a wonderful working relationship with the Bahamas and Atlantis for many years and I’m very excited this global event will take that partnership to a whole new level.”

“The people of The Bahamas are very proud and excited at the opportunity to host some of the most beautiful people in the universe in some of the most beautiful islands in the universe,” said The Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Senator Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace.  “This feels like the perfect match. We look forward to showcasing the hospitality of our people, the clarity of our waters, the vibrancy of our music, dance, food and spirit."

“’Discovery’ and ‘wonder’ describe what we can expect in summer. We look forward to exposing the contestants, and the world, to our amazing Bahamas Islands,” said George Markantonis, President of Kerzner International Bahamas Ltd. “An event showcasing the most beautiful part of the globe to the rest of the planet. Atlantis resort, along with all of Nassau's exemplary hotels, is proud to be a part of this great event. We can't wait!”

Venezuelan native Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008, will crown her successor at the conclusion of the telecast.  During her reign, she has traveled all over the world as an advocate for HIV/AIDS education, research, and legislation. The newly crowned Miss Universe will go on to do the same.

Each contestant from more than 80 countries around the world will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they vie for the coveted title of Miss Universe 2009. In recent years, worldwide distribution of the popular competition has topped more than 170 countries.

Donald J. Trump and Phil Gurin will again serve as Executive Producers for MISS UNIVERSE® 2009.