Sandals Montego Bay’s Melissa Migliavacca is the new queen on property, having captured the Miss Flagship 2010 title at the annual talent and awareness pageant held recently at the resort.

In addition to the coveted title and crown, Melissa walked away with a cache of fabulous prizes, including a laptop courtesy of Digital Office Solutions, a Blackberry from LIME and a scholarship from the Western Hospitality Institute.

Completing the royal court were first and second runners-up Natalee Robinson and Junie Williams respectively.

The event opened with the nine contestants bedecked in mini sailor outfits — in tribute to the resort’s Flagship status — doing a well choreographed routine to Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl. Their talent pieces followed, then the evening wear parade and interview segment.

However, it was the voluptuous five feet, eight inches tall Melissa, a Red Lane Spa Receptionist, who easily captivated everyone’s attention. During each of her stage appearances, she exuded poise and easy confidence, and gave early claim to the crown.

Her talent entry, an original dub and musical performance titled Granny Build Back, was delivered with great aplomb and enthusiastically received by judges and audience alike. Melissa also aced the interview segment when she was asked to explore some of the benefits of tourism to the Caribbean region. It was to no one’s surprise then that she won the Most Aware and Most Talented categories, the latter of which was shared with Natalee Robinson for her piece I Am Woman.

Speaking after her win, an ecstatic Melissa said, “I feel great! I competed against some wonderful ladies so I feel honoured that the judges selected me as the winner. As Miss Flagship, I am now, more than ever, looking forward to being an ambassador for Sandals Montego Bay.”

Third place winner, Junie Williams, also won everyone’s hearts as she boldly participated in the event, despite the challenge of being hearing impaired. According to chief judge and Sandals Resorts creative director, Weston Haughton, “Junie was such an inspiration. She had this sweet smile on her face and delivered with a sense of assurance that one probably would not have expected.”

Other sectional winners were accounting’s Tamara Heath, Most Popular and Shannay Wood of Room Service who took the Most Congenial prize.

This year’s pageant was held with a new vision and vibe said Dania Phang, training and development Manager at the resort.

“We wanted to revolutionise this annual event and make it something which the team members could really identify closely with,” she explained. “So we decided on the distinctive name ‘Miss Flagship’ which points to the inimitable position of Sandals Montego Bay within the resort chain.”

Held under the theme, ‘The Renaissance Woman: Fun, Fearless and Fabulous’, the pageant sought to project a message of the power of the female mind, body and spirit .