Cover Story - May 25, 2007

The Business of Summerfest

For thousands of Milwaukeeans, it’s an annual ritual. You begin looking through the daily and nightly entertainment lineups for the 11 days of Summerfest and plot which shows you’d like to attend. You’re already thinking about the particular foods you plan to eat, the beverages you plan to drink, the stages you plan to visit and maybe even the picnic tables you plan to dance upon. However, in the Summerfest office, located on the Henry Maier Festival Park grounds at Milwaukee’s lakefront, employees kicked it into high gear long ago. Phone calls, meetings, orders, press releases, interviews, promotions, schedules, deadlines and more deadlines have put everyone involved in Summerfest in a frenzy since the snow melted in early April. Read More...