Mississippi’s 2017 Miss Hospitality was crowned Saturday evening at the Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg. Emma Grace McGrew from Booneville, MS was selected as the program’s winner following two-days of pageant competition, which included interviews, individual speeches, and on-stage questions during the evening gown portion. Now in its 20th year in Hattiesburg, the statewide pageant’s ...

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) July 22, 2017 – A new Miss Hospitality has been crowned in Hattiesburg. She is Emma Grace McGrew, 18, of Booneville. McGrew won the 2017 Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant, which was held at the Saenger Theater Friday and Saturday night. First runner up is Taylor Phillips, who represented Neshoba County. McGrew will now ...

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) July 21, 2017 – The contestants in this year’s Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant met fans face-to-face at the Hattiesburg Zoo Friday afternoon. They signed autographs and posed for photos at the last public outreach event before the pageant preliminaries, which begin Friday night at 8 p.m. at the Saenger Theater. Twenty five ...

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) July 18, 2017 – Contestants in the 2017 Mississippi Miss Hospitality Pageant toured parts of Hattiesburg Tuesday as they continue to prepare for the pageant preliminaries and finals later this week. The 25 contestants visited Forrest General Hospital and Main Street Books, where they painted bowls to be sold in a fundraising ...

The Hattiesburg Convention and Tourism Commissions have helped Hattiesburg’s economy achieve record tourism and visitor growth over the past 20 years. In fact, annual visitor spending has more than doubled from $131 million in 1996 to $268 million in 2015. While each commission has had a vital role in community success, they operate as separate ...