City Leaders Hope Miss Universe Pageant Puts Doral In Spotlight
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DORAL (CBSMiami) – On Sunday the spotlight shined on the 63rd Annual Miss Universe Pageant.
When all was said and done Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega, was crowned this year's Miss Universe. Miss USA was a runner up.
Doral city leaders are hoping the beauties and the red carpet extravaganza will put the city – that lives in the shadows of Miami – on the map.
"I believe people will remember. I learned about Doral because of Miss Universe – about the promotion they were giving online and all of that," said Juan Cabrera, who came from Orlando for the pageant.
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Miss Universe draws hundreds of millions of viewers from around the world. The City of Doral shelled out $2.5 million to make sure the people who watch, remember the city's name.
But from the opening announcement, Doral had to share the spotlight with Miami when the announcement said the pageant was being held in Doral-Miami.
South Florida's very own Emilio Estefan, who judged the pageant, didn't even mention Doral while on the red carpet.
"I am more excited, more than anything else to be able to showcase Miami all over the world," Estefan told CBS4's Travell Eiland.
Statements like that have some city leaders doubting if the $2.5 million investment to get the pageant will translate into name recognition.
"Probably not. I don't know, probably not. I thought I was in Miami," said Canadian tourist Katie Rajhans.
Most tourists CBS4 spoke with didn't know they weren't in Miami, but Florida International University student Louis Viloria thinks the city's investment will change that.
"Miss universe is all over the world a lot of people see it, so people are going to want to come over here," said Viloria.
But how long will the buzz about Doral last once Miss Universe is gone? And what return will the taxpayers get for their $2.5 million?
Doral city leaders are paying a consulting firm $25,000 to find out.