Photos from Lagos October Hangout: Talks, Networking and Culture at Terra Kulture

Thanks to everyone from the Lagos Travel Massive community for attending this month’s October Hangout, featuring a day of networking, money talk and culture at Terra Kulture on Victoria Island. The day opened with a prayer by Tobbie Lawrence and brought together over 40 participants from diverse professional backgrounds, including tour operators, travel bloggers, ticketing agents, bankers, travel tech and FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods).

The gathering provided a valuable platform for networking, knowledge sharing, professional development and collaboration among stakeholders across the travel and tourism value chain.

Icebreakers, history and speed networking

Moderated by Lagos chapter leader Sam Adeleke, the event opened with an icebreaker session designed to help participants connect, share experiences and get to know one another. Participants responded to engaging questions that encouraged interaction and created a welcoming atmosphere.

Next, fellow co-leader Dozie Obi took us down memory lane: from how Travel Massive originally started in Sydney, to the many chapters and activities around the world today. This was a very valuable part of the event, especially for the many who attended for the first time. About 10 first-timers were in attendance.

Up next were the speed networking sessions, which enabled attendees to meet one another, exchange contact details, learn about each other’s businesses, and identify areas of professional expertise and potential collaboration. This fostered meaningful connections among participants and encouraged relationship-building within the travel industry.

One of our leaders, Segun Abisagbo, CEO of Passportmonie, shared his growth journey as a member of Travel Massive. His travel-tech platform is an “African travel wallet” that allows tourists, nomads, expatriates and cross-border businesses to easily make payments, convert currencies and access local currency funds across various African nations without relying heavily on US dollars.

From booking travel to owning assets: a session with Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank

A major highlight of the hangout was an insightful session facilitated by the team from Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank, led by Lola Shonowo and her colleague Aderemi Onifade. The team spent time educating participants on the opportunities, processes and financing options available for sustainable asset ownership among travel professionals.

Across the travel value chain, many professionals operate primarily as intermediaries. They facilitate flights, hotel bookings, transportation, meals, tours and other travel-related services without necessarily owning the underlying assets through which these services are delivered.

The session therefore challenged participants to think beyond facilitating transactions and begin exploring opportunities to own income-generating and appreciating assets, such as residential properties, land and commercial real estate.

Recognising that many professionals may not have the capital required to acquire such assets outright, the discussion explored the role of mortgage financing and other available funding options.

The engagement with Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank provided useful insights into the dynamics of asset acquisition, the financing options available within Nigeria’s financial sector, and how travel professionals can approach asset ownership more sustainably, particularly where access to capital and prevailing interest rates present challenges.

Overall, the conversation was robust and practical, encouraging participants to consider long-term wealth creation, financial planning and asset ownership as important parts of their professional and business growth.

Tour and cultural experience at Terra Kulture

Following the knowledge-sharing session, participants went on a guided tour of Terra Kulture, our event host and partner. Located in Victoria Island, Lagos, Terra Kulture is a cultural and tourism destination that celebrates Nigerian and African heritage through food, theatre, cinema, live performances and other cultural experiences.

As part of its partnership with Travel Massive Lagos, the Terra Kulture team gave participants the opportunity to explore the facility and experience its various offerings. The tour took attendees through the venue’s cinema, theatre, stage and other facilities, showing its potential as a destination for cultural experiences, entertainment, tourism and related business opportunities.

As a result, the hangout went beyond the usual networking and informal conversations. Participants also experienced firsthand the cultural and tourism offerings of one of Lagos’s notable cultural destinations.

Thanks to our community

Thank you to Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank for bringing valuable financial insights to our travel community, and to Terra Kulture for their hospitality and tour. Together, they helped build a more connected, knowledgeable and financially empowered travel industry in Lagos.

Big thanks to all our members who attended, and to the chapter leaders and volunteers who made the event a success: Oluwakemi Ojo (Photography and Media), Kazeem Olanrewaju (Protocol), Daniel Olabimtan (Liaison), Merit Sholaye Dottie (Protocol) and Modeenat Olushola (Venue and Partnerships).

Photos by Oluwakemi Ojo.

Want to be part of events like this? Join the Lagos Travel Massive to stay in the loop for the next event. Contact chapter leaders Sam Adeleke, Dozie Obi and Oluwakemi Ojo to host an event.