Miss America Returns In Person for 100th Anniversary Competition

While the pandemic has proved the power of virtual events, some gatherings simply can't be held online. Such is the case with the Miss America Competition, where 51 contestants strive to win $100,000 in scholarship aid based on their talents, interviews and social impact. The annual affair was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, but a strict set of safety protocols and months of preparation allowed the competition to go on this year.

"We felt it was important to continue with the 100th competition since we already put it off a year," said Brent Adams, vice president of marketing and development, Miss America Organization. "We felt this historic moment deserved an in-person celebration and that it was safe to do so. There is something special about the competition in person."

The weeklong event was held at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., from Dec. 12-16. Nearly 4,000 tickets were sold for the final competition night, which was live-streamed on NBC's Peacock platform. In addition, the two preliminary competition nights sold more tickets than ever before. The event brought more than 2,000 paid room nights to the property, according to John Washko, vice president of convention and exhibition sales for Mohegan Sun — doubling expectations as of September.

"It really exceeded our expectations as far as the turnout from around the country," said Washko. "I think that has to do with the fact it was the 100th year and also the desire to support these talented contestants."

Ensuring a Healthy Environment

Contestants traveled from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to participate in the 100th Anniversary Competition. Mohegan Sun was in constant communication with the Miss America Organization in the months leading up to the event and implemented strict safety protocols to ensure the highest levels of safety for the contestants, staff members and attendees.
 
All attendees were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours in order to gain entry to the event. In line with the state's mask mandate, face coverings were required for unvaccinated attendees, and strongly encouraged for vaccinated visitors. 
 
Contestants had to abide by even tighter measures. All Miss America candidates had to take a PCR test prior to traveling, as well as a second test upon arrival – regardless of vaccination status. Contestants had to wear face coverings at all times while indoors, except on stage. Anyone who was in close contact with the candidates, including talent coordinators, dressing room staff and security, had to follow the same tightened restrictions.
 
"This is their dream; this is what they've been working for their entire lives," said Dana Lambersky, director of convention services for Mohegan Sun, who spoke with the Miss America Organization almost daily in the lead up to the event. "The last thing they want is for Covid to stop them from achieving their dreams."

Fast Response for Safety 

One contestant, Miss Maine, tested positive for Covid after arrival and was quickly isolated from the group and withdrawn from the competition. To ensure there was no further spread, all other candidates were immediately retested and were not permitted to participate in any on-site activities or visit their families until they received a negative test result.
 
Mohegan Sun was equipped with an on-site medic to handle such scenarios. The venue also took added precautions to minimize the risk of contagion, such as providing each candidate with their own room, whereas contestants shared double rooms in years past. According to Washko, the benefit of hosting an event of such size and scale at Mohegan Sun is that the 1,563-room property is large enough to handle everything on-site with consistent protocols throughout.

A Shared Mission of Education and Empowerment

Contrary to common misconceptions, the Miss America Competition is no longer a "beauty contest." Judges rate contestants based on interviews, talent and their social-impact initiatives, and the Miss America Organization prides itself on being the largest provider of scholarships to young women in the nation. 
 
Each year, the nonprofit organization awards more than $5 million in cash scholarships. Emma Broyles, who represented Alaska and was crowned the winner of the 100th Anniversary Competition, received $105,000. Broyles broke barriers as the first Korean-American to be named Miss America, as well as the first Miss Alaska to win the competition.
 
The first runner-up, Lauren Bradford of Miss Alabama, won $25,000. In total, the organization distributed $435,500 in scholarship assistance to this year's 51 candidates.
 

"So many people know the name, but they don't know what the Miss America Organization is about or our central and core mission," said Adams of the Miss America Organization. He noted that women hold two-thirds of student loan debt in the U.S., while making an average of 20 to 25 percent less than men. "There is a crisis for student debt in general, but specifically for women," he stressed. "These scholarships pay off their student loans."
 
Mohegan Sun has a similar education-driven mission and is honored to have hosted the past two Miss America Competitions, noted Washko. As part of a multi-year partnership, the 2022 and 2023 competitions also will be held at Mohegan Sun. 

"The Mohegan Sun tribe embraces diversity and embraces education," he said. "They provide scholarships to the children of every tribe member. Any college that they get into, the tribe pays 100 percent. The idea that we need to educate is exactly aligned with the Miss America Organization, which is all about providing scholarships to these young women so they can advance in their careers."

Leading the Way for Covid-Era Meetings

The Miss America competition is one of the largest and longest events held at Mohegan Sun this year, but the venue has a strong track record of hosting safe gatherings. In fact, more than 250 events of all sizes have been held at the property this past year. 
 
Washko credits this success to the property's early reopening in June 2020, as well as the extensive safety protocols that have been continuously updated throughout the pandemic. "We were able to establish protocols and hold events early on. We kind of took the lead on that in the Northeast," he said, noting that new or rekindled business relationships have come from the property's "track record of success in these strange, strange times that we're in."