Millie Lewis AMTC
(American Modeling and Talent Convention)
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Carey Lewis Arban. I am the President of
The Millie Lewis American Modeling and Talent Convention
and Millie Lewis International, Inc.
Your email was forwarded to me yesterday from our Charleston
office. I am in Atlanta.
I tried to navigate through your site a bit, and ended
up connected to the Models Guild. Rhonda Hudson [President
of the Models Guild] has been to two of our events. Do
you know her? I tried to email her, but the email was
returned saying "mailbox was full."
Rhonda has been given all of the information on our
event, as well as having personally witnessed part of
what we do.
To think of our event as a "modeling scam" would
make my mother, Millie Lewis, roll over in her grave.
(She passed away last June.)
We are a family business and are believed to be the
best this industry has to offer. We are not IMTA or MAAI.
We do not accept franchise schools. We are not a traveling
search.
We have been in business for 20 years (since 1982),
and have had 36 conventions. The success stories on our
website represent a small portion of our placements.
This summer we will have 100+ agents, managers, and
casting directors at our Orlando convention.
I agree that this industry is ripe with scams, but I
believe a good convention is an excellent way to get
seen by many agents in one place at one time, without
traveling all over the world to do so.
For actors, it is almost impossible to get seen, unless
you know someone "who knows someone," or you
are performing while an agent or casting director is
there.
The agents who come to our event are among the best
in the world. For modeling, we regularly have Ford, Wilhelmina,
Next, and Elite, among many others.
Why don't you call Emmanuelle Rey (Ford); Judy Linton
or Ray Lata (Wilhelmina); Tony Perkins or Joel Wilkenfeld
(Next); or Karen Lee (Elite) in their New York offices,
and ask about the Millie Lewis Convention?
All have been in business for many years, and all know
us quite well. Many other regularly attending agents
can give you information about us.
Quotes from some of them are included on our website.
(By the way, we are currently re-writing our web site
entirely, to be re-launched at the end of June. We had
one good webmaster who retired, two others who were terrible,
and our current one can hardly make "heads or tails" of
all the different programming. Success stories will be
significantly expanded.)
Our event, the Millie Lewis American Modeling & Talent
Convention (AMTC) also includes training by reputable
Directors.
One fringe benefit of training and positive involvement
in the modeling or talent industry is a tremendous boost
in self esteem.
Teens that attend our event must sign a "Behavior
and Ethics Agreement." As a parent of teens myself,
I know that personal development is why many parents
send their kids. They want them lifted above the peers,
and less subject to the bad influences of peer pressure.
Let me try to answer your questions about placement,
although I would rather speak with you in person.
Placement is never promised or implied in any way during
our sales or scouting interviews. All we promise is a
positive learning experience with excellent agents, managers,
and casting directors in attendance. I'm not sure if
you have seen our mission statement, but I include it
below.
We have not tracked our placement rate in several years,
as it has become impossible to do so.
In 1994, over 30% of our contestants received an offer
of representation. However, since that time, we have
let over 35 Directors go (owners of regional modeling
or talent schools and agencies largely from North America).
Every year we release Directors that we feel do not
meet our standards. After our January event, we released
three Directors, including the Director who had brought
the largest groups to AMTC for several years.
What does this mean as far as tracking placements?
Since we do not work directly with the public, we rely
on our Directors to inform us when someone is placed
or successful.
Indeed, we have many, many editions of what we call "Placement
News," which I would be happy to send to you.
Many hundreds from the last few years are included,
with specific information, and in many cases, tear sheets.
When we lose or release Directors, we have no means
of tracking placements. In addition, some models or actors
do not keep in touch after they are placed, even if we
do still have their Director.
Mena Suvari came to AMTC in 1992, when she was 12. She
was placed with the Children's Division of Wilhelmina.
Needless to say, we were thrilled when we saw her "resurface" as
a young adult movie star.
She has been working steadily since AMTC, but we had
lost touch. People move on with their lives. Those that
keep in contact with us are a minority. We are a "bridge" along
their path, but many people do not look back to the bridge
they crossed before success.
Because of the issues above, we decided at the beginning
of this year that we would no longer refer to "Placement
Rate" in any of our scouting or advertising, although
ours in the past has been the highest among conventions.
We are still asked that question many times.
Since we cannot provide accurate placement percentages,
we now refer our Success Stories as well as to "Call
Back Percentage."
At AMTC, all contests and call backs are computer collated.
Tracking call backs is easy, as it was written into the
program many years ago in this way: "Percentage
of contestants receiving one or more call backs"; "Percentage
of contestants receiving two or more call backs."
It goes up to four, I believe.
A call back may not be a contract, of course. However,
it is an open door. Contestants receive contract offers,
encouragement for the future, referrals, and advice in
call backs. The "ball is in their court," so
to speak.
If they receive one or more call backs, I think we have
succeeded in opening a door to placement. Contestants
receiving one or more call backs have averaged over 65%
at AMTC.
Statistics are easily available. All it takes is one.
We have an extremely successful model with Ford, named
Valerie Sipp. She has done major campaigns, like Calvin
Klein and Prada, all of the big shows, as well as covers,
like French Vogue beauty issue.
Valerie only received one call back at AMTC. She was
not a "run-away" favorite at the time, but
one was all it took for her to be a major success.
Sometimes we have placements who received no call backs.
That's why we still have open interviews, unlike the
searches or IMTA.
Sometimes a contestant's personality or book will open
doors. Sometimes the right agent was not in the ballroom
at the right time (when that contestant performed).
Therefore, call back percentage may be slightly skewed
in the opposite way, but it's still the best way we now
know to talk about.
Sorry this email is so long, but we believe that we
wear the "white hats" in this industry. We
believe that the Millie Lewis Convention has set a standard
of excellence for many years.
I would be happy to answer any other questions.
Sincerely,
Carey Lewis Arban
President,
The Millie Lewis American Modeling and Talent Convention and
Millie Lewis International, Inc.
THE MILLIE LEWIS AMERICAN MODELING & TALENT
CONVENTION MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Millie Lewis American Modeling & Talent
Convention is to promote excellence and integrity in
the modeling and talent industries.
The AMTC Directors and Scouts hold a great responsibility:
the hope, dreams, and potential of each contestant.
These prospective models, actors, and entertainers entrust
their vision of the future with us. We pledge to use
our knowledge and connections to teach them, to promote
them when advisable, and to protect them always.
We strive to be the best modeling and talent convention
in the world: to give fair representation to all contestants;
to provide them with optimum exposure to the most reputable
regional, national, and international agents; to host
an open forum for learning about this exciting industry.
As a family business, we are in this business for families.
Each contestant's best chance of success lies in his
own motivation built on the foundation of family support.
Our goal is to provide a protected environment: one
where talent can meet with select industry leaders and
make an informed decision about his future, with the
understanding of his family and the guidance of his local
AMTC Director.
Each contestant is a winner! Each works to improve his
skills, appearance, poise, and self-confidence; each
chooses to make the most of himself; each meets the challenge
of competition, and opens himself to constructive criticism
with an enthusiastic and positive attitude; each performs
his visual and verbal skills before a large group of
people. These accomplishments build a positive self-image
for any present or future career.
Not everyone can model, act, or entertain professionally;
these fields are highly specialized and competitive.
The Millie Lewis American Modeling & Talent Convention
offers the opportunity to excel, a chance to be discovered,
and assurance to meet the future with no regrets.
Carey Lewis Arban
President,
The Millie Lewis American Modeling and Talent Convention and
Millie Lewis International, Inc.
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