W

ith only one day to go before the Miss World grand finale, contestants and organizers are working hard to prepare for the Saturday night show.

Leo Joanes Sunu, an official for the event'€™s media center, confirmed that everything had been well prepared and the show would take place at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) at 7:30 p.m. local time.

'€œPreparations are underway for the final show. The judging and crowning of this year'€™s winner will be held at the BNDCC. After that, we will proceed to the Westin Resort in Nusa Dua for a gala dinner with the new Miss World,'€ he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Among the most crucial preparations is to ensure all the contestants look the best they can, with different approaches needed for each contestants.

'€œWhat I have learned over the years is to make sure that my knowledge covers every aspect of the world of styling to fit every nation,'€ said Andrew Minarik, director of hair, make-up, wardrobe and styling.

'€œAlthough I help them look their best, they have to have the strength of character and personal qualities necessary to be able to become a worldwide ambassador. They have to be able to handle themselves in a variety of settings perfectly,'€ said Minarik, one of the judges in the final show, commenting on what would it take to be the winner.

Preparation of the show also involved local artist A.A. Gede Adi Semara from Bangli, who created a special chair to be used by the winner the moment she is crowned.

Colored in white and gold, the chair is made of teak and features ornaments that express the spirit of Indonesia'€™s diverse culture.

The 1.6-meter high chair weighs 60 kilograms and features sculptures of Balinese, Papuan and Javanese motifs.

The government decided to move the final of the pageant to Bali, a Hindu-majority island, instead of a venue outside Jakarta, after days of Muslim hardline protests.

Amid growing security concerns, the organizers are counting on hundreds of security officers, reinforced by traditional Balinese security personnel known as pecalang, to ensure the safety of contestants and guests.

The final will be broadcast live in 143 countries and can be watched by live streaming on Miss World'€™s official website.

The event will see the beauty queens sashaying in Indonesian-designed dresses before the winner is crowned. They will show off their talents and abilities in the finale of the three-week event.

For Indonesian contestant Vania Larissa, the high public expectation to see her win the event hosted by her home country is not a burden.

'€œOf course I want to be the best. It will be really good to be in the top three. For me, it'€™s not a burden, it'€™s a challenge. And I will try my best to achieve it,'€ she said.

Vania so far has shown her skills by winning the Talent Show.

With her flawless rendition of '€œA Question of Honour'€ sung in an operatic style with a modern twist, she claimed the top prize from a field of 12 contestants who made it to the talent final.

In addition to being a finalist in the Beach Fashion event, Vania is also considered to be among the best contestants for the Beauty With A Purpose event, for which she conducts social projects helping visually impaired children in an orphanage in Jakarta, teaching them to sing and play music.

'€œShe has the chance to win,'€ said Liliana Tanoesoedibjo, chairwoman of the Miss Indonesia Organization.