We welcomed Friday the 24th of May starting at 8AM. A team was in charge of setting up a 24 x 18 podium. Another team was in charge of building a runway that measured 32 x 8.
Another team was in charge of setting up the audio system, extending cables that would feed 9 microphones to be used during the evening, 7 of which would be for the judges and 2 for the emcees.
A fourth team was in charge of setting up the lighting system on colorful poles that would bear the canons which would sprinkle golden confetti once the name of the Beauty Queen was announced.
Another team was busy setting up the giant screen which would show the advertisements, announcements, the names of the candidates, the emcees, and the judges in a continuous loop.
Yet another team was busy setting up creations of roses specially designed and decorated by the hands of Sitt Al-Habayeb Siham Habib of Lexis Florist. The entire hall was decked with roses, including the centerpieces on the guests’ tables, the judges’ long table, the runway, and the bouquets of roses that were meant for the Beauty Queen and her 2 Runner-ups.
Another team was distributing nuts and dates on the tables, along with chocolate from Marmoura Favors and macarons by Flo Paris Bakery. Flags of Lebanon Times and the World Lebanese Cultural Union were distributed on all the tables as well as booklets that presented the candidates, with each contestant’s picture and bio.
Each team worked on its own area of specialty so that the results would be perfect.
As for the team that planned and prepared the entire event, including the organizing, producing, musical performance scheduling, scenario selection, the purchase of accessories and gifts, this was all Julia Nader of the thousand eyes and thousand arms. If one eye closed & went to sleep, another would remain wide open. If one arm was lowered in exhaustion, another would stay raised up to continue the work when others stopped. Nabil El-Habbaki was the intellectual and creative push, who remained working and wishing there were 25 hours in the day and 8 days in the week so that the results of the work would be complete and successful.
All these preparations were ongoing, as we ran and even raced the clock so that we may receive our guests at 7PM as we promised them.