Keep Calm and Wear a Tiara: Miss New Zealand is back

Keep Calm and Wear a Tiara: Miss New Zealand is back

March sees a brand new and exciting competition launch in New Zealand, Miss Universe New Zealand 2013

Auckland, March 4 A dynamic consortium, comprising veteran TV producer Nigel Godfrey, experienced make-up artist and well respected personal trainer Evana Patterson, and Lucire publisher Jack Yan, has taken over the Miss Universe New Zealand franchise and are promising an exciting new competition.

‘The search for Miss Universe New Zealand 2013 will start within a few weeks and we will travel the length and breadth of the country to find the winner,’ says Executive Producer Nigel Godfrey.

‘Initially, entrants will register online at www.nextmissnz.com or www.nextmissnz.co.nz. The registration fee is $10. Fifty per cent will immediately be donated to our partner charity Variety, the children’s charity.

‘Next we will announce which girls in each region are going through to the regional finals. These events will be held in the main centres and each successful regional finalist will enjoy two days of competition where they will work with professionals in the areas of modelling, TV presentation, make-up and other related areas.’

Television cameras will follow every part of the process and as with The X Factor, New Zealand’s Got Talent and Idol, the New Zealand public will have a say in who is going to be Miss Universe New Zealand 2013.

In September, the Miss Universe New Zealand 2013 competition will reach its climax with a Red Carpet Gala Event in Auckland that the organizers are confident will be broadcast on TV across the country.

Director and General Counsel Jack Yan says, ‘We have the perfect team to bring Miss Universe New Zealand in to the 21st century, by applying integrity and transparency to the competition. It’s an exciting time, transforming this competition into something that involves all New Zealanders.’

‘Historically, a Miss Universe New Zealand winner became an instant celebrity and we will return that status to the title,’ says Miss Universe New Zealand franchise holder Evana Patterson. ‘The winner will enjoy a very busy and productive year-long reign working with both Miss Universe and Variety, the Children’s Charity.

‘This is a very exciting reinvention of a worldwide recognized brand that has for too long languished here in New Zealand. For the last few years there have been a number of barriers to entry, not the least of which has been a financial demand made on the entrants. In 2013 any eligible entrant will be welcome to join us on what is going to be a very exciting journey,’ says Mr Godfrey.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 27 and are a New Zealand citizen and would like to know more, then visit www.nextmissnz.com or www.nextmissnz.co.nz.

Although well known both behind and in front of the camera in New Zealand, Nigel Godfrey first ventured behind the lens in London in 1986 when he worked for the Miss World Group and Thames TV on the international final of Miss World. Nearly 30 years on he is delighted to once again be involved with such an exciting project.
‘Three decades is a long time and society’s approach to women and beauty competitions has changed immeasurably in that time. I am incredibly excited to be involved in reinventing the fantastic brand that is Miss Universe New Zealand, that has unfortunately been allowed to languish in this country for far too long. The road to discovering Miss Universe New Zealand 2013 will feature innovation, integrity, entertainment and, of course, viewer involvement and I can’t wait for the journey to begin.

‘The revamp of this fantastic brand in New Zealand is long overdue and with Jack and Evana we now have the team to do it!’

Taking over the Miss Universe New Zealand franchise has always been an ambition of Evana Patterson. However she is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that this year 2013 it was quite simply ‘meant to be’.
‘I have always been a strong advocate for the empowerment of young women. The reinvention and relaunch of the Miss Universe brand in New Zealand this year gives us a platform where we can inspire and guide woman on both a professional and personal level, and that is all the motivation that I need.’

For the last 15 years, Jack Yan has helmed Lucire, a pioneer in fashion publishing and one of the few New Zealand magazine titles that have been licensed abroad. With Miss Universe New Zealand, Jack has involved himself in a venture where an international brand has come to our shores.
He was involved with the successful bid by Panos Emporio for Miss Sweden from Miss Universe in 2003, and is excited to be part of a new era for the competition in New Zealand ten years on.

‘We have a team whose skills complement one another, and we’re all in sync, showing that we can transform a business that needs to be brought in to the 21st century. We are bringing in a strong sense of transparency and integrity, with a format that is in tune with the demands of the 2010s.

‘With Evana and Nigel we’re finally doing what the Miss Universe brand says it should do, promoting young women with confidence, charisma, intelligence, and health.’

About Nigel Godfrey

In 1990 TVNZ made Nigel an offer he couldn’t refuse and he moved to New Zealand. After a few years with TVNZ and a stint in Christchurch with New Zealand’s first regional broadcaster CTV, he returned to Auckland and in 1995 he founded Eureka Productions. The last 18 years has seen Nigel and Eureka produce hundreds of hours of broadcast television programming on both sides of the Tasman.

Some of the highlights: the children’s show Y for Channel 9 in Australia, Sky’s coverage of the international première of The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King, interviewing Stephen Fry, ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, Lee Tamahori, Robson Green and many others, whilst producing 120 episodes of Sky Scene for Sky TV. In 2009, Nigel produced the first Telethon that New Zealand had seen in 20 years, raising $2 million dollars for underprivileged children. In 2010 Nigel staged and produced for television The New Zealand Variety Show, a star-studded Kiwi version of the UK’s Royal Variety Show. Nigel has worked with TVNZ and TV3 on Masterchef, Idol, Stars in Their Eyes, So You Think You Can Dance?, Deal or No Deal and countless other prime-time franchises.

He has also produced and directed a wide range of TV commercials with, amongst others, Trinny and Susannah, Gorden Kaye and Sir Michael Caine.

Nigel is also well known as an actor both on stage and in front of the camera. He has starred in The Phantom of the Opera and in 2011 he returned to the stage as Moonface Martin in the multi-million dollar Auckland revival of Anything Goes. He has appeared in five feature films, sharing the screen with Jon Voight, John Hurt, David Strathairn and, most recently, a rather large ape. He has also guest-starred in around 15 TV series including Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Legend of the Seeker and Power Rangers. He has also taken the “hero” role in around 35 commercials including a wildly successful US campaign entitled We Are the Champions for a certain little blue pill.

He also produces a number of large-scale events including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

About Evana Patterson

Evana Patterson has been involved in the world of modelling in New Zealand for well over a decade. She has worked as a model, worked inside a model agency and has directed numerous fashion shoots.

Evana has been a well respected professional make-up artist for nearly 13 years, graduating from the Cut Above Academy in 2000. She is currently the make-up artist for Max Factor having won their nationwide search for Make-up Artist of the Year.

Evana also works as the show choreographer with World TV for the annual Miss Chinese Cosmos and Miss Chinese New Zealand competitions.

When she can she also enjoys giving her time as a make-up artist for the Look Good, Feel Better Charity.

As if all of the above isn’t enough to keep her busy, she is also a respected fitness instructor, personal trainer, sports nutrition consultant, and Mum to 15-month-old Mila.

About Jack Yan
Jack Yan founded Jack Yan & Associates (http://jya.net), one of the world’s first virtual firms, in 1987, operating internationally. Among his company’s interests are business consulting, imaging, software and media, including the fashion magazine brand Lucire, which is published internationally in print and online formats.

He writes on topics, ranging from branding and business responsibility to fashion and typography, in numerous publications and journals worldwide and is a regular international speaker. He serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Brand Management. He has authored or co-authored numerous books, including Beyond Branding, Typography and Branding and, most recently, Nation Branding: Country Concepts and Cases.

His personal site is at http://jackyan.com, and features a highly regarded blog. He is a director of the Medinge Group (http://medinge.org), a think-tank in Sweden devoted to cutting-edge branding. He was one of the parties behind the successful bid for Miss Sweden in 2003 for Panos Emporio. In 2010, he ran a strong but unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, netting 12 per cent of the vote on his first attempt.

Note to editors

The Miss Universe name, the ‘woman with the stars’ symbol, and Miss Universe New Zealand are registered trade marks of Miss Universe LP, LLLP, and used by the Miss New Zealand Consortium under licence.

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