Miss USA 2010

The 2010 Miss USA® Pageant airs on Sunday, May 16 7-9 p.m. EST from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino at the Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton has been traveling the nation as an advocate for breast and ovarian awareness, education, research and legislation. Each contestant from all fifty states and the District of Columbia will be judged in three categories; swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The show will conclude with one contestant ultimately being crowned Miss USA 2010.

Paula M. Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization, took some time from her busy schedule to answer some questions from I Love Las Vegas.

How many years has the Miss USA Pageant been coming to Las Vegas?
This is the third year in a row the MISS USA® competition is being held at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and we are very excited to be back in town! We really love it here.

Does Planet Hollywood seem like home toyou after three years?
Absolutely! It really is my home away from home. I think the Panorama Suite has the best view of the strip and I love all of the movie memorabilia. I now ask for the Marilyn Monroe room when I come here. And I think I must know everyone at the front desk by now. Everyone is very friendly.

How many people does the pageant reach?
Well Miss USA® is unique in that it has a very large global outreach. The winner of Miss USA® will go on to compete at Miss Universe® so the telecast is seen in over 95 countries by millions of people because they all want to see who the competition will be. Also our website is absolutely huge. We had 820 million hits on the www.missusa.com site last year alone.

What do people find so intriguing about the Miss USA Pageant?
I think people take pride in their hometowns and like to cheer for their home state. It really is a life-altering experience for someone. In some ways it is a lot like “American Idol.” Someone gets picked from the competition and moves to New York where she lives one of the most exciting years imaginable. Viewers can relate to the excitement. Plus, they get a glimpse of Mr. Trump…the Miss USA® pageant is just a tiny part of his empire.

What qualities are the pageant judges looking for in the contestants?
The judges look for the “it” factor. It goes without saying that every contestant in this pageant is beautiful, but the judges look for someone who stands out from the group.

How does the reigning Miss USA reach out to the American public?
Miss USA® spends the year of her reign traveling throughout the country as an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness, education, research, and legislation. She will work with organizations such as Gilda's Club and the Nevada Cancer Institute. We also have a strong relationship with the USO.

When she is not working with charities, she attends movie premieres and other A-List events. She really has very few days off, and the year always flies by.