"Whether through education, sport or festivity, events form the basis on which we attribute cultural meaning, significance and value to our lives. In this light, community events have the potential to create positive and negative social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts within the community across a wide variety of genres and platforms. This book offers a deeper and more critical insight into the relationships, dynamics and planning processes of festivals and events and the impact this has upon authenticity, cultural consumption, and the local communities they serve. It does so by looking at a range of key debates in power theory, event planning and design, event construction, experience and meaning, authenticity, sustainability, social inclusion, accessibility and sponsorship engagement. International case studies are embedded within the chapters, examining the role of stakeholders, local communities, organisers, local governments and infrastructure. This critical event studies text is interdisciplinary and will make valuable reading for students and researchers who are interested in the relationships and dynamics involved in the construction and planning of festivals and events, their immediate impact and their significance for the future"--

The development of the festival and event industry has seen large scale growth and extensive government support as a result of objectives to enhance and project the image of place and leverage positive sponsorship and regeneration opportunities. As we move deeper into austerity measures prompted by economic recession, community festivals and events as a sacred or profane time of celebration can be considered even more important than ever before. This book for the first time explores the role and importance of 'community', 'culture' and its impact through festivals and events. Split into two distinct sections, the first introduces key themes and concepts, contextualises local traditions and culture, and investigates how festivals and events can act as a catalyst for tourism and create a sense of community. It then questions the social and political nature of festivals and community events through examining their ownership. The second section focuses on communities themselves, seeking to examine and discuss key emerging themes in community event studies such as; the role of diaspora, imagined communities, pride and identity, history, producing and consuming space and place, authenticity, and multi-ethnic communities. Examples are drawn from Portugal, the Dominican Republic, the USA, Malaysia, Malta, Finland and Australia making this book truly international. This significant volume will be valuable reading for students and academics across the fields of Event, Tourism and Hospitality studies as well as other social science disciplines.

There is an ever growing importance of events in modern society and until now existing literature on events has been dominated by the economic perspective. Social and Cultural Aspects of Events addresses the social and cultural side of events and explores the role they have in fostering change and community development. It examines the transformatory function of events in the context of development studies - as phenomena that can promote and facilitate human development, including social, societal and individual change. This book provides vital and timely exploration and encourages the study of more diverse themes within event management.