Food Studies Program Coordinator co-authors a chapter in the book “Food and Wine events in Europe”
Elisa Ascione, Coordinator of the Food Studies Program, has co-authored the chapter “Eurochocolate: an instrument of valorization for Perugia and its territory,” published by Routledge in 2014 in the book Food and Wine events in Europe: a Stakeholder Approach. The chapter contributes to the study of events through an analysis of Eurochocolate, a ten day international chocolate exhibition that has been held annually in October in Perugia since 1994. In this paper the authors use stakeholder theory and network approach to examine the relationships among different actors at the event, and to explore how the event has revitalized the city as the European Capital of Chocolate. The model presented is based on the role of the degree of engagement of the participants and the relationships among stakeholders within and outside the event. This paper shows that this successful chocolate event is defined by an ongoing process of negotiation among different groups with similar and divergent interests.