The contest director is the heart of a contest. They set the tone, set the mood, and determine the quality of the experience on contest day. The contest director is the first person you should turn to when you have general questions, not coaching questions, about the contest.

The difference between a general question and a training question is as follows.

A general question is information that belongs to everyone in the contest and is factual. Coaching questions are opinion-based and specific to the individual. For example, asking what style of dress is appropriate for the pageant is a general question and it’s okay to ask the director. However, sending a photo of yourself in a gown and asking the director what he thinks of it is not appropriate. That’s what your coach is for.

Here is a list of general questions you can ask the contest director to help you prepare if it is not included in your paperwork.

Please read all your documentation first before contacting the principal.

• Can I take photos and / or videos during the contest?
• Should I buy an ad page for the show and how much does it cost?
• What are the mandatory expenses?
• Can I change the format of my judge’s bio or do I have to follow their template exactly?
• Can I (or the stylists) come into the dressing room to help my daughter with her clothes, hair and makeup changes?
• What kind of food and drink is allowed in the dressing room? Do I need to bring my own coat rack, long mirror, power strip, and extension cord?
• For the interview, do you want the contestants to wear taupe closed-toe shoes and stockings, or are bare legs and open shoes acceptable?
• For the interview, do you want a classic suit (jacket with matching skirt) or is a fashionable dress okay?
• What length of hem do you want to see in the interview?
• Do you want ball gowns, above the knee, or dresses with slits for formal wear?
• How dazzling do you want the clothes to be?
• Please ask for clarification on what is the definition of fun fashion / casual wear in contests: real clothes people buy off the shelf, high-low dress, red carpet, denim allowed (in almost all cases NO), allowed pants or capris, accessories are allowed (hats, purses, masks, bags, etc.).
• If your contest has a timed personal presentation (NAM, COED, IJM, Teen America), be sure to ask if the time limit is a guideline or if points are deducted for submissions that exceed the time limit.
• If your daughter wins, can she enter other contests while she has this title?
• What expenses does the pageant cover for your daughter to compete at the next level? For example, if you are competing in a local preliminary, what does the state contest cover? If you are competing in the state pageant, what does the national pageant cover?
• What are the headline appearance requirements?
• How is the modeling style for this contest? Traditional catwalk walk, straight modeling without hand gestures, haute couture runway? It may differ with each category, so ask. It is also okay to ask about the walking pattern. Which side of the stage will you enter? How many stops? Where will you leave the stage?
• Will you receive scores and comments after the contest? What is that timeline and how should you look it up (mail, email, a phone call)? FYI, most contests do not give scores or comments after the contest, so thank those that do.

Be respectful of the principal’s time. Think of all the questions you may have ahead of time and send them in an email or ask them in a phone conversation. As contest time approaches, directors don’t have time to answer individual questions because their focus shifts to production mode. It is not personal. They have a show to produce and hundreds of details to manage.

Meet all your deadlines. Communication is essential. Directors are wonderful people who want you to enter their contest. If you have problems with deadlines, talk to them. Don’t wait until the last minute. To plan the best experience for all contestants, they must pay fees and know how many contestants will be participating in the contest.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the preparation of your contest. Once you understand the contest rules and expectations, all the details are up to you and your team.