ABSTRACT
The closing chapter of this book examines some trends and innovations in special events, which, again, have been defined as “purposive gatherings of people that provide unique social experiences.” In particular, we focus on events that have been created, developed, and maintained with a social mission, purpose, or cause. In surveying the landscape of mission-driven or cause-related events, there are a number of topics that are particularly interesting for discovery in this book and potential research beyond it. They include: 1) “event clustering,” or the coming together of numerous organizations for one social gathering, usually nonprofit organizations for fundraising purposes, 2) “placemaking” events that may help shape physical and social characteristics of a neighborhood or community, and 3) events that are designed to enhance cultural diversity. Each of these trends is discussed in greater detail below, and a number of cases and examples are provided along the way.
