PHILIPSBURG--Five young ladies will vie for the Carnival Teen Queen crown on April 18. Organiser Posh Productions already has started preparations for the show.
St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has outsourced the organisation and complete control of its three major pageants to entertainment agency Posh Productions Incorporated (PPI).
PPI, the self-proclaimed “Pageant Professionals,” is the brainchild of former pageant queens Anna Rabess-Richardson and Cassandra Weekes-Jeffers. Rabess-Richardson is the founder, president and CEO of PPI, an entertainment agency established in St. Maarten with the goal of providing and promoting wholesome entertainment in the areas of fashion, arts, music, theatre, pageantry and all other forms of unified community enhancement events.
The outsourcing of the pageants to PPI means the company is now solely responsible for hosting the Teen, Senior and Ms. Mature Carnival Queen Pageants, all of which carry title branding of TelCell. PPI will be responsible for all aspects of the pageants, with SCDF playing only a facilitating role. In essence, PPI is now the promoter of the three events and everything associated with them.
PPI’s core objectives include assisting and strengthening the entertainment and tourism industry of St. Maarten through highlighting the island’s cultural heritage and natural talents with promotional packages and advertisements that will draw participants, spectators and viewers locally, regionally and internationally.
“We have six shows set and soon we will launch the girls of the Senior and Ms. Mature pageants. The mission of the Pageant Professionals is to promote philanthropy through strong community-based services and involvement, while flooding the community with fearless, authentic and intelligent role models.
“Their vision is to foster goodwill ambassadors by encouraging individual growth, personal platforms, community involvement and awarding scholarships for educational and/or career advancement,” Rabess-Richardson said.
With education and philanthropy at the core of its vision and mission, PPI’s themes and prizes target representatives who also are interested in educational and professional advancement, improving public speaking, interview and people skills and developing their community involvement by actively participating in service organisations for the betterment of the contestants and St. Maarten.
An educational fund has been established and donors can contact Posh Productions to donate any amount that will go towards tuition fees for the girls. All participants will have their 2016 school tuition paid in full by the organisation, said Rabess-Richardson.
“By incorporating this particular scholarship programme into local pageantry itself, Posh Productions envisages an empowered St. Maarten woman as leader, very dedicated, ambitious and very educated, ready to take on her responsibilities, face whatever challenges and one who is focused on positively changing her surroundings.
“Similarly, ‘SXM Girls Rock’ will be another campaign of Posh’s that stands against underage sex, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, neglect, depression bullying, crime, violence and various other ills that our youth and society in general are faced with on a daily basis, by diverting them onto taking a more positive path,” Richardson added.
The group can be contacted by visiting its website
www.poshsxm.com or contacting Anna Rabess-Richardson by e-mail at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
