LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Live Nation Urban announced the launch of The Black Tour Directory, an industry resource intended to bolster inclusivity and expand opportunities for Black professionals and Black-owned companies working in the live music industry.
On their new portal, Live Nation Urban maintains lists of Black production professionals, including tour managers, production managers, sound engineers, lighting experts, stage and set designers, stage managers, techs, travel agents, caterers, tour accountants, bus companies, and security staff, among others.
The free-to-use directory includes contact information and social media links for the black crew members and tour professionals listed, providing easy access for festival, producers, and promoters.
“When Jenifer Smith from Live Nation Concerts and NyAsia Burris from my team came to me with this idea, I thought it was genius and absolutely necessary. There are several amazing resource groups that exist like Roadies of Color, Diversify The Stage, Black Promoters Collective and many others, and we all have one common goal, to make sure once live entertainment returns at scale, there are more opportunities that exist for Black people, and all underrepresented groups of people, throughout the touring industry, particularly in technical and production positions,” said Live Nation Urban President Shawn Gee.
Gee also hosted a “Backstage with Crew Nation” roundtable interview with a high-profile panel of respected voices. The panel comprised Curtis Battles [Founder, CEO of Curtis Battles Production], Tina Farris [Founder, CEO of Tina Farris Tours], Victor Reed Sr. [Founder, CEO of Global Event Production Network], and Michael “Huggy” Carter [Founder, CEO of MCG Productions].
The discussion is avialble here:
