By: Alva Ree

As the global pageant season opens this spring, industry insiders are paying attention to the strategic moves of one of its most influential players — Edgar Saakyan, founder of Edgar Entertainment. Known for his international portfolio and innovative approach to talent management, Saakyan is positioning 2025 as a year of growth and refinement for the pageant world.

Having produced high-profile national pageants such as Miss Universe Israel and Miss Universe Uzbekistan, Edgar Entertainment has demonstrated its ability to deliver competitive delegates on the global stage. Both Ofir Korsia (Israel) and Nigina Fakhriddinova (Uzbekistan) competed at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico, representing countries where national pageants had previously faced challenges. While their placements did not result in crowns, their visibility and post-pageant success suggest a more significant impact.

Ofir Korsia, for example, has since participated in New York Fashion Week, Los Angeles Fashion Week, Beverly Hills Fashion Week, and secured an upcoming film role with director Josh Webber. Her media appearances include interviews with major outlets such as Telemundo, and she has served as a judge and guest of honor at several international events.

Another example is Lilia Gzraryan, who represented Armenia at Miss Cosmo International. Although she did not place in the competition, she became a breakout star in Vietnam, where her public reception was widely praised and rivaled that of the official titleholders. According to Saakyan, this outcome was not by chance.

“We don’t send delegates to chase crowns,” he explains. “We focus on building international visibility, long-term positioning, and platforms for growth. Titles can be forgotten — but brand and legacy are lasting.”

In 2025, Saakyan’s team is expanding efforts to support delegates not only during the competition cycle, but also before and after — with structured media strategies, brand partnerships, and cross-industry integrations.

This approach is also reshaping the purpose of national pageants. For Edgar Entertainment, the pageant stage is seen as a vehicle for diplomacy, tourism promotion, cultural outreach, and talent export.

“Many still question whether pageants are relevant,” says Saakyan. “The answer largely depends on how they are executed. If they remain tied to outdated formats, they will likely fade — even in traditionally strong markets like Asia and Latin America.”

According to him, the industry’s survival requires constant evolution: replacing rigid rules with more flexible criteria, prioritizing media literacy over tradition, and transforming winners into full-scale public figures.

He cites Israel as a key example. After the official national pageant shut down in 2021, Saakyan partnered with the Israeli diaspora and produced Miss Universe Israel 2024 in Miami. The result was immediate: interest from media, institutions, and global Jewish communities, prompting high-profile collaborations and invitations for the winner.

“Just because a country doesn’t fund pageants anymore doesn’t mean its people don’t care about international representation,” he adds.

He also points out that in many countries, families and private sponsors invest substantial sums into sending a delegate to international competitions, with no guarantee of winning. Why? Because the platform remains an effective mechanism for personal branding, national visibility, and global networking.

At its best, the title of Miss Universe is more than symbolic. It opens doors across fashion, media, business, and government. It accelerates careers and builds cultural bridges between diaspora and homeland.

As Edgar Entertainment prepares for its upcoming season — including new partnerships, regional castings, and content-focused projects — the company is focused on long-term value, not short-term trophies.

In a crowded digital world, where attention spans are short and visibility is everything, pageants — when managed with vision — remain one of the few legacy platforms still capable of delivering substantial international relevance.

And under the leadership of Edgar Saakyan, that relevance is being strategically redefined for a new generation.

 

Published by Jeremy S.