This was our first pageant experience and we both had a wonderful time over the 3 day competition in Harrisburg Pa. My daughter met new friends and learned new skills at the pageant while competing against 65 other preteens. She can't wait to compete next year and now realizes that she needs to practice and prepare if she wants to do better next year. It is a bit on the expensive side but in my opinion it is worth it and you can mitigate your out of pocket costs by having your daughter learn how to solicit sponsorship. She did only two optional competitions and the photo shoot which kept the cost down. The photo shoot is worth it as she now has a portfolio start. We did end up buying the DVD as a training tool for next year. We went in focusing on the fun of the competition and courage of all the competitors and being happy for the winners. The judging was fair in my opinion. As I watched the competition objectively I picked the pageant winner, talent winner and acting top three and those were the ones that ended up winning. My daughter is already working up plans to earn her entry fees for next year. The pageant was well organized and focuses on confidence building of the girls.