Darey Art Alade was recently recognised as one of Africa’s 100 Most Impactful People in Tourism & Hospitality 2026 by TOHO Recognition, powered by Ranks Africa, the honour reflected a body of work that has steadily connected creativity with tourism, hospitality, and economic growth across the continent….
As Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Livespot360, Darey has helped shape experiences that attract visitors, stimulate local economies, and position African cities as destinations for culture, business, and entertainment. From internationally recognised festivals and creative conferences to destination activations and large-scale live experiences, his work demonstrates how original event intellectual properties (IPs) can contribute meaningfully to Africa’s visitor economy.
That philosophy continues to shape Livespot360’s portfolio of event IPs.
Across Africa, the relationship between tourism and the creative economy is evolving. People still travel to experience a destination’s history, landscapes, and heritage, but increasingly, they are travelling for festivals, conferences, concerts, fashion weeks, cultural gatherings, and immersive experiences that define the character of a place.
Creative experiences have become powerful tourism drivers. They influence where people travel, how long they stay, where they spend, and the stories they share when they return home. Every visitor who books a flight for a music festival, extends a trip to attend a creative conference, or plans a holiday around a cultural celebration contributes to an ecosystem that reaches far beyond the event itself.
Through platforms such as Entertainment Week Africa (EWA), Detty December Fest, Livespot X Festival, and BAFEST, Livespot360 continues to demonstrate how African event IPs can create lasting value for destinations while strengthening tourism, hospitality, and the wider creative economy.
How Livespot360’s Event IPs Support Tourism in Africa
Every journey begins with a reason.
For some travellers, that reason is business. For others, it is culture, music, networking, or discovery. Across Africa, original event IPs are increasingly becoming part of that decision-making process.
Livespot360’s experiences create opportunities for people to travel with purpose. They encourage visitors to spend more time in destination cities, engage with local communities, and experience the richness of African creativity through carefully curated programmes that extend beyond a single venue.
As audiences grow and international participation continues to increase, these events strengthen destination appeal while supporting industries that depend on visitor spending.
How Entertainment Week Africa Drives Business Tourism
Business tourism continues to play an important role in Africa’s creative economy, and Entertainment Week Africa has become one of the platforms contributing to that growth.
Each edition welcomes filmmakers, musicians, producers, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, executives, brands, and creative professionals from across Africa and around the world. Delegates travel to Lagos for several days of conferences, networking sessions, showcases, exhibitions, and business meetings that create demand for accommodation, transportation, restaurants, and other hospitality services throughout their stay.
Beyond attendance, Entertainment Week Africa facilitates conversations that shape investment, partnerships, knowledge exchange, and cross-border collaboration across the continent’s creative industries.
The event positions Lagos as a destination where creativity and commerce intersect, reinforcing the city’s growing reputation as a hub for business tourism in Africa.
How Detty December Fest Supports Lagos’ Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Every December, Lagos welcomes thousands of visitors returning home for the holidays, members of the African diaspora, first-time travellers, and international guests looking to experience one of Africa’s most vibrant festive seasons.
Detty December Fest has become part of that experience.
The festival brings together music, fashion, food, art, and live entertainment, encouraging visitors to extend their stay while exploring different parts of the city. From hotels and short-let apartments to restaurants, transportation providers, nightlife venues, local vendors, and retail businesses, the impact extends across the hospitality value chain.
For many visitors, the festival also becomes an introduction to Lagos itself, creating memorable experiences that encourage repeat visits and positive destination storytelling long after the celebrations have ended.
How Event IPs Strengthen Africa’s Hospitality Industry
Large-scale creative experiences generate activity across multiple sectors.
Hotels accommodate artists, speakers, delegates, sponsors, exhibitors, production teams, media professionals, and visitors. Restaurants and cafés welcome increased patronage throughout event periods. Airlines, ride-hailing services, logistics providers, decorators, photographers, technical production companies, security personnel, and vendors all contribute to delivering seamless experiences.
Every booking, journey, meal, and purchase contributes to a broader hospitality ecosystem that benefits from a thriving creative calendar.
When original event IPs continue to grow, so do the opportunities they create for businesses operating across tourism and hospitality.
Why Africa’s Creative Economy Is Shaping the Future of Tourism
The future of tourism is increasingly driven by experiences.
Across the continent, cities are investing in festivals, conferences, sporting events, and cultural gatherings that create compelling reasons for people to travel. These experiences strengthen destination brands, encourage visitor spending, and introduce global audiences to Africa’s diverse creative industries.
Livespot360’s portfolio reflects this evolution. Through Entertainment Week Africa, Detty December Fest, Livespot X Festival, BAFEST, and other original IPs, the company continues to create platforms that connect culture with commerce, creativity with tourism, and experiences with long-term economic value.
Darey Art Alade’s recognition among Africa’s 100 Most Impactful People in Tourism & Hospitality 2026 celebrates that vision. It also highlights the growing role of Africa’s creative economy in shaping tourism, strengthening hospitality, and building destinations that attract visitors from across the continent and around the world.
With Africa’s visitor economy continually evolving, original event IPs will remain an important part of that journey, creating opportunities for businesses, communities, creators, and destinations to grow together.