Book excerpt: Food and wine events have gained popularity internationally. Their importance in local economic development has grown, especially in Europe, as they are seen as a source of income for local economic systems, a way for creating new job positions and effective tools for promoting and increasing typical product awareness and demand. This book for the first time illustrates the positive and negative impacts of food and wine events from a stakeholder perspective by highlighting several critical aspects such as: (1) advantages and disadvantages of food and wine events; (2) best practice adoption for maximising benefits flowing from event creation; (3) community involvement and knowledge diffusion; (4) effectiveness in promoting local products and creating consumer awareness about products; (5) factors that promote or inhibit the success or achievements of wine and food events. Although the volume primarily focuses on events in Europe, comparisons are made to other regions in the world. Case studies are integrated throughout to illustrate the system of economic and social impacts linked to food and wine events, as well as best practices to achieve effective event management and maximize expected results. Written by leading academics, this timely and important volume will be valuable reading for all students, researchers and academics interested in Events, Tourism, Hospitality, Gastronomy and Development Studies.