Emily D

Pageant Year: 2024

Contestant

Application Process

Did you feel guided and supported through the process and expectations adequately? To the best of your knowledge, were all contestants treated equally?

Not at all. I asked the director for advice on a few occasions and I was responded with blunt, unthoughtful 1 word replies. I wanted to know what we should wear for certain events and she only replied “anything”. When asked if this was ok “whatever”. I asked about the colours of the stage and was responded with “coloured”- when asked again “coloured”. She greeted everyone except me with a deep voice. The director was one of the rudest and most fake person who only smiled in front of others.
 
Rating (0-10): 0

Franchise/Directors/Organisers

Professionalism, contracts, fees, treatment of contestants, discrimination, financial responsibilities, prizes, are they motivated correctly, etc.

$1000 entry fee, and each much find at least a bronze sponsor ($750) and sell 10 tickets- we signed and agreed. 2 weeks before finals, they changed the requirements without further notice to say that we needed to find them $3000 sponsor and sell minimum 25 tickets or we will lose marks. 2 days before finals, they changed it again to 20 tickets, even though I had sold 27 and I know many girls didn’t meet 25 but they rigged that by changing the ticket requirement again. Refused to give scores out after the competition.

Both my sponsors (1x $3000, 1x $750) did not get what they were promised/ they got nothing in return. My bronze sponsor was promised a photoshoot with the finalists but when I asked the director she said “we don’t have time, why don’t you go with your sash?”. The sponsor was a friend and if he wanted only me, he would’ve got it for free. All contestants I spoke to had the same issue with their sponsors.

This pageant was money grabbing scam and business sponsors did NOT get what was promised.

I found them a photographer for final night as requested but the photographer wasn’t showed ANY gratitude. He was just left backstage and was never introduced to any of the girls so they didn’t know what he was doing there. He was not offered the food backstage, nor guided politely by any of the organisers. He was not told what to do, where to take photos or what was expected of him. EXTREMELY rude and unprofessional director.

When I asked further, MUNZ blocked me on IG. Maria never replied to a single message after the finals and ghosted me. Also smiled at all the contestants during the retreat, except me who she frowned at to greet. Racist or personal?

I realise all these issues are only with the director - Maria, and not so the other organisers however they all move around like her dog and listen to whatever she says.  

Rating (0-10): 0

Rehearsals

Well organised, value, treatment of participants, expectations, respect versus compromise, qualified trainers, etc.

We had no rehearsals. No trainings for walking at all. Not even 1. No explanation on what to wear, what to expect, nothing was provided. No one told us how we should post online, what to expect from interviews. 0 trainers. No makeup training. Just big fat nothing.

Rating (0-10): 0

Safety

Health, medical requirements, dietry, personal, sexual, physical, privacy, financial, event security, etc.

N/A

Rating (0-10): -

Empowerment

This experience increased/decreased my self confidence, my sense of purpose, my capacity to dream bigger, and my propensity to lead others to their inner greatness.

With the way I was treated, it was clear this pageant was a scam for money and for diversity to make up numbers so they can make entry fee money. They had their winner from the start and decided to make a competition out of it to make money instead of appointing her. Anyone in their right mind would have appointed the 2024 winner, instead of belittling and wasting every other girls time. I clearly asked if she was competing before I entered, and was responded with “you should enter regardless who is there” basically. Honestly disgusting

Rating (0-10): 0

Judging

Qualified, conflicts of interest, fair and unbiased, racial, discrimination, etc

One of the top 5 finalists asked a judge out for coffee during preliminaries and spoke to another judge online multiple times. I was right next to them and heard the entire conversation. 2 more judges judged another pageant some of us were in 2 months prior, meaning we weren’t offered a clean slate and would’ve been judged on biased views based on last pageant.

For social media, MUNZ reposted 100% of the winners stories and posts during the competition including completely irrelevant ones such as her trip to Queenstown but didnt repost most girls MUNZ related posts at all. Some girls put a lot of effort with their MUNZ posts and got no reposts. This is NOT the winners fault, but the biased, and money hungry directors.  

Rating (0-10): 0

Reigning Year

What did you like/dislike about your reigning year? Were events throughout your regning year honourable or did you feel used?

Well I got blocked.

Rating (0-10): 0

Services

Value for money, contribution respected, etc.

Terrible! Scam! Do not enter .

Rating (0-10): 0