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INTERVIEW
Opposite: Nadu Placca, Founder of The Zoo XYZ.
THE ZOO XYZ: BLACK IN THE BOARDROOM FOLLOWING THE COMPANY’S LATEST REPORT ON THE RACIAL DISPARITY WITHIN UK EVENT TRADE BODIES AND ASSOCIATIONS, NADU PLACCA SHARES HER FINDINGS AND HER PLANS TO LAUNCH A NEW ORGANISATION WHICH REPRESENTS BLACK EVENTS PROFESSIONALS.
“You posted a Black square, now what?” stated Nadu Placca, Founder of The Zoo XYZ and now author of a new report that highlights the lack of diversity within UK event trade bodies and associations. She spoke on the eve of the release of a new report that aims to bring the conversation of diversity within the live events industry to the forefront and begin a dialogue that will lead to change that goes further than a post on social media. Among The Zoo XYZ’s findings, which looked into 16 UK event trade associations, the research found that 0% of board members that sit on UK event trade bodies and associations are Black. The report included associations such as the PSA, Music Venues Trust, Association of Independent Promoters and The Concert Promoters Association. All data was taken from websites and verified, where available, on Companies House. In the report, The Zoo XYZ classified Black as those
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of Black African and Caribbean ancestry living and working in the UK. “The last thing we wanted this report to do is to make the industry feel like a deer in the headlights,” explained Placca, who drew parallels with this report and Women In CTRL Founder, Nadia Khan’s report titled: Seat At The Table, which highlighted the lack of female representation in leadership positions within the music industry. “Within the entertainment market, you often find a huge number of Black artists and athletes are at the forefront, but this is simply not reflected backstage.” According to Placca, a key step in this mission is greater diversity and representation in the trade bodies that represent the industry. “Trade bodies and associations are voluntary industry watchdogs, set up to regulate and monitor industry standards,” the report states. “They create industry opportunities, unite for causes
and lobby the government. The importance of trade bodies and associations can be seen across various industries, and they are an integral part of business. It is essential that trade bodies and associations are inclusive as they are influential to the longevity of the industries they serve.” Placca has worked within the live industry for over 14 years officially, although she jokes how she was born wanting to organise events. “I’ve only ever had one real job working at NatWest, which did not last long,” she chuckled, explaining how the traditional nine-to-five just didn’t cut it when there was a world of live events calling. After getting a degree in Events Management and Music & Media Management, Placca freelanced for a company within the sector before breaking out on her own. Having established a number of businesses over the years, in 2019, she formed The Zoo XYZ. This Black-owned, female-led experiential event management agency puts training at
