Lynne Vacnin, Founder of The Lynne Experience, Shines a Light on the World of Experiential Casting

Lynne Vacnin got her start as a model thanks to a summer radio station contest and her mother’s marketing savvy. The modeling career that followed opened doors to the trade show niche and lit an entrepreneurial spark in Vacnin that never faded.

Today, Vacnin owns The Lynne Experience, a boutique experiential marketing and casting agency in New York City, focusing on live events — many of them powered by Casting Networks talent.

Vacnin took time out of her day to share her journey and give us a peek inside The Lynne Experience and the world of experiential casting.

Insights: What to Know About Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing involves creating unique and engaging live branding events.

In experiential marketing, actors can use their improv skills and enthusiasm to build and enhance these experiences.

Experiential marketing is not about looks. An engaging personality can often outweigh physical attributes.

Opportunities in experiential marketing often enable networking and can lead to talent getting scouted for larger roles or spokesperson positions with brands.

Actors interested in experiential marketing should look for reputable companies to work with, pay attention to payment terms, and be open to new ways to supplement their careers while pursuing acting.

Tell me about the Lynne Experience. What do you do and how did you get started?

I grew up in Chicago, always wanted to be a model and that was back in the day when they had Shirley Hamilton and Emelia Lawrence agencies. The Loop FM 98 was a big radio station back then with Jonathan Brandmeier. They were having a “Girls of Summer” contest. I entered and became one of the participants. I didn’t win it, but it was great.

My mother was my PR back in the day. She took the one modeling picture I had taken and mentioned to the local newspaper that I was in the Girls of Summer contest. They ran it in the paper, and then she took that clipping and sent it out to every modeling agency in Chicago. Everyone called me. Elite, David & Lee, all the top ones.

I wasn’t tall enough, I wasn’t perfect enough, but I was enough of something and with the proper PR and getting in front of people, I walked into every one of those doors and met with all the agents. In the end, Playboy signed me. Now, I always have to explain: I’m not in the magazine. They owned a lot of things. I was doing United Airlines billboards and AAA Motor Club along with other print work and commercials.

My niche at the time seemed to fall into the trade show world. I was becoming the trade show model of the year in Chicago. I was at Mccormick Place convention center all the time, and I loved it.

I realized I liked speaking to people, I felt comfortable representing a brand and they paid a nice amount of money to do that. I was in my twenties at that point and I decided I needed more stability for myself. I wanted to stay in the business so I reached out to all the agents that I worked with and I was lucky enough that one agency said to me, “I’d like to hire you.”

I was booking talent and I learned all about live events and I already knew about print and commercial work along with runway shows.

Eventually, I ended up moving to New York and I got a job at another agency. I worked there for a couple of years, and as life went on, I decided to open up my own agency.

I had subcontracted to book a trade show for Borden Foods up in the Catskills and I ended up calling Barbizon, who had an office in White Plains. [It turned out] they were looking for an agent to run their New York City office and offered me a job with them and I accepted.

Sixteen years into it, I had some life changes and I said, “It’s time for me to go off on my own,” and I opened up my own agency. At that time, I thought it was a modeling agency, which parlayed into the live event business, and it ultimately became a casting agency.

And what exactly do you do now with experiential casting?

What we do now is cast talent and brand ambassadors for live events. Experiential marketing is creating unique live branding events for brands. Nowadays, brands will hire Instagram influencers and they’ll talk about the product, they’ll say try the new blow dryer and they’ll tell you every feature. That’s experiential. It’s not just the grandmother [going] “Have you tried the new rice chip?” No, it’s like, “Stop. I have this brand and I want to tell you why it’s unique.”

Generally, our clients will do something unique to not just stand there. For Game of Thrones, we did ”Game of Cones.” All these ice cream cones were built up — it was for an ice cream brand— and then you’re dressed up in a certain way. You’re creating an experience for a brand ” live” rather than just on social media, and it really makes a difference for these brands.

What different types of roles do you cast?

We still cast for acting roles, more non-union, commercials or even if somebody needs talent for a runway show. We represent spokesmodels , actors and brand ambassadors for live events.

Anytime a client is reaching out and wants us to cast the right person, for whatever role that is, whether it’s a live event or it’s a film or TV, we can do all of that. We are well-known for live events.

Since they’re looking for something special, is there something in particular that you are constantly looking for, some attribute that an actor will have?

It’s that vivaciousness. It’s the assertiveness of “I’m not afraid to do anything in front of a camera or live. I am comfortable speaking to you and you can feel that.” We
screen and look for personable [talent].

It’s not always about the look, either. Sometimes the personality shines so much. That’s what you’re looking for. A lot of it is about your engaging personality and, in some cases, your ability to improv.

What are some misconceptions you think that people have about your niche?

I think they don’t understand that experiential marketing is a $480 billion industry. The misconception is not knowing how powerful this form of marketing is, and how actors can utilize their improv skills and their enthusiasm to promote a brand live.

It’s similar to being an influencer in some ways, but they work “live” and they work with their colleagues who are [also] actors.

Sometimes when we’re booking actors [they ask], “Is this a commercial?” No, it’s not. This is a way to sustain income working with your colleagues. It’s another way of not being a waiter anymore, not working a catering gig, not going to temp jobs. It’s saying, “I’d like to talk to Lynne to see if I can promote some brands this week.”.

Another thing we cast for is mock trials. Some of those are live, but some of them are remote where we’re doing depositions with actors. I’ve had one case where the client was so impressed with this actress that I said, “Send me your reel,” because I wanted to go beyond live events and also cast her for film and tv work.

I wanted to see what she was made of. She was really good and I sent her off to Affinity Artists Agency and they took her on and she worked on Law and Order. She’s worked in films and she’s so excited that she said, “20-something years I’ve been in this business and you got me. No one found me. No one pushed me.”

This [mock trial] led me to get her connected because I know a lot of people in this industry. She’s a working actress and she can’t get over that one person took the time to say, “You’re talented.”

It is not just for live events, but I will help direct you somewhere else. One thing can lead to others. Everything is about relationships and getting to know people.

It really does speak to the idea that any job could be the big break.

It could be. It’s because when you step out of your box and you’re willing to just be 100% in any job you’re doing, you will get noticed. And when you get noticed, that’s what leads you to your next step.

You’ve mentioned improv as a skill that’s important, but are there other unique skills that actors bring to this job that would make them successful?

Actors have an ability to persuade, to engage with you. The characteristics of a great brand ambassador are in an actor who is absolutely comfortable in public. As you know, there are some actors who won’t do Broadway or do shows because it’s not at their comfort level. I want a person who says, “I can promote anything.” It’s an actor who can tell a story to an audience. It’s that type of characteristic.

Tell me a little more about how roles like these help an actor’s career.

I don’t know that it necessarily will take them to the next level, such as a film or television actor, but we’re affording them a way to continue [their careers]. Being a brand ambassador, it’s really your own business. You decide when you want to work and what brand you want to work for based on the offers that we give you.

I would say being a brand ambassador, being a spokesperson, being a trade show model, it keeps you in the industry promoting brands while you go after your acting career.

I would assume that networking is also a big advantage.

That is key. The networking of working with your [acting] colleagues, in the industry and “I know this agent” or “I know this manager.”

You’re going to be with your fellow actors and you’re going to make more money than being an extra. It’s all about how you stay in this business and keep working in the business even if it’s live instead of on film. That’s what we offer.

Is there a lot of crossover between the experiential world and things like commercials or film and TV?

I think the crossover is if I recognize your talent and if the brand itself will walk into a store and watch you and not tell you and it could lead to them saying, “I want this person to be my spokesperson across the country.” We have had that happen where they are so impressed with the talent that they will ask them to represent their brand and fly them to different cities.

To have the ability to pick and choose when you work, what brands you’re promoting, it gives you the freedom to keep pounding the pavement for your TV and film theater career, but they go hand-in-hand.

I mentor the talent when maybe they’re just starting out and maybe they need help [with asking] “What is wrong with this picture? What is wrong with my content? Am I finding their niche? I have a truck driver look, but I’m trying to play executive.” What makes you stand out?

That’s where we shine. We teach you how to market because we’re casting and marketing. We are helping brands market by doing the best casting we can for them, but we also know how to help you market your own business [as an actor] so that you get noticed. The key here is you must have talent to get past what we can do, but we certainly can get people to push on.

It’s essentially a marketing role for a brand, and you’re going to pick up some marketing skills by osmosis too, which are only going to help you.

I would think so, because I think what you learn the most is don’t waste your time being afraid. The more you use your voice – whether it’s talking to people in a supermarket, or being a spokesmodel at a wine festival, or working for my clients at a race track – what you’re learning is you have to ask for the sale, [because] you’re selling yourself.

If I’m an actor and I’m considering getting into experiential, what should I know ahead of time and what should I be on the lookout for, good or bad?

In order to start working in the experiential business. you want to make sure that you work with companies that have been around a while.

You want to make sure that you have an ability to understand all the terms of working with an experiential company. You want to find out as much detail as possible when you’re taking on a job to make sure that you’re happy with the job you’re accepting.

Sometimes you don’t get enough information and then you accept something and realize, “That’s not for me, I don’t want to bang the drums outside,” or “I don’t want to start cooking fried chicken.” Or you might say, “My God, I love cooking. This job would be fun, it’s $40 an hour and I can act like a chef for the day.”

I think it’s [also about] working with reputable companies and I know it’s hard to know when you’re first starting out who is reputable.

When you get paid, some of them pay you as an employee and will take out taxes. Some are independent. We work with actors. We’re all independent contractors.

You have to know about payment, because when you’re an employee, you’re paid in a different time frame than an independent contractor gets paid. After you bill a client, then they have up to 30 days to pay. It’s business. They just have to understand all the terms before they accept and understand this is what it is.

When I’m posting for actors, I always say, “This is a job that hires actors, not an acting job.” Yes, you’re using your acting skills, but do not confuse it.

Again, I liken it so much to influencers on Instagram because that to me is the same thing except they’re getting free products. Maybe in lieu of money, or maybe they’re getting money. You’re getting paid.

And in general, the rates can range from $25 an hour to $75 an hour. It depends on what’s involved, what you’re doing and what the budget is, but you always have the liberty of saying yes or no.

Any last words of advice to our audience?

I understand acting and modeling careers. It’s a journey. It’s not a sprint, It’s a marathon, but in order to get there, you have to sustain your life in a way that makes you happy.

You don’t want to take on jobs and wait for your big break. You want to make your own break, and that just comes from building relationships whether it’s working in experiential marketing, doing commercials, films or theater.

I would say, keep your passion alive but find a way to supplement yourself so you’re happy doing what you want to do while you’re building your career. It’s a journey and a career takes time.

Expand your horizons. Don’t be afraid to try live events. You might love them and you might find your niche as I did when I was younger. If you’re a people person, you love to talk and you want to get paid to talk, this would definitely be the part of the talent industry that you can engage in because it’s trade show, spokesmodel brand ambassador work, and it can be a lot of fun.

If you’re interested in working in Experiential Marketing, reach out to Lynne and her team via their website or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lynne_exp

Looking for more industry knowledge? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Audition Advice from Casting Directors!