When asked how Spectrum Celebrity Events started, Layne said, “My husband, Matt, and I enjoy going to soap opera fan events. We have been to multiple fan events for soap operas. We noticed that some actors didn’t get attention and they weren’t featured in some fan events some that played LGBTQ characters, or actors that had smaller roles that we would love to work with. We thought about doing our own fan events just for fun. We started the company in 2018, and we held our first event in the summer of 2019 in Washington, DC.”
“Our first soap event was called ‘Daytime Pride’ and we decided to feature actors that played LGBTQ actors from multiple daytime shows such as Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann, who played the first gay super-couple on As The World Turns, as well as Freddie Smith, Greg Rikaart, Camryn Grimes, and Ryan Carnes,” he said.
“When we did ‘Daytime Pride’ we chose True Colors United as our nonprofit organization, which focuses on homeless LGBTQ youth,” he said.
Speaking of “Daytime Pride,” a proud moment for him and Matt included organizing this event and making it happen, as well as getting great feedback from the attendees. “Since soap operas air five days a week, people have a strong connection to them,” he said.
Layne acknowledged that it is a “good feeling” to be an entrepreneur in the digital age. “I enjoy it and I enjoy meeting new people, as well as chatting with people that I have similar interests,” he said.
On Saturday, October 10, they will host the “Salem Proud” Spectrum Celebrity Event in Burbank, California, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, where for each ticket sold, Spectrum will donate $10 to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. It will feature such actors as Christopher Sean, Chandler Massey, Brock Kelly, and Greg Rikaart. “The LA LGBT Center is a good fit since they help homeless youth there and they provide shelter and medical services for people in general,” he said.
On the late afternoon of October 10, they will be hosting “Dishin’ Days” from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Los Angeles Burbank Marriott Airport Hotel in Burbank, where the line-up will consist of such actors as Eric Martsolf, Jen Lilley, Stacy Haiduk, Billy Flynn, Kate Mansi, Paul Telfer, Brock Kelly, and Scott Shilstone.
For soap fans, especially those that love Days of Our Lives, Layne concluded, “We hope people come out and have a good time with us. It’s something that a lot of fans are looking forward to. We are keeping our eyes on what is happening with the pandemic, and we are planning things accordingly. We are hoping that everything works out.”
To learn more about Spectrum Celebrity Events, check out their official website and their Facebook page.
