Sarah Pancheri
President and CEO | Milwaukee World Festival (Summerfest)
Milwaukee Summerfest is the toast of the town.
The festival, which started in 1968 as a quaint way to celebrate the city’s brewing history, now spans three weekends with hundreds of performances on 12 stages throughout the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park. It has grown into a year-round entertainment destination, anchored by the 23,000-capacity American Family Insurance Amphitheater.
Earlier this year, Sarah Pancheri took over as president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Milwaukee World Festival after holding various positions in the organization back to 1999. Securing the future of the city’s cultural and community gem is a priority, and the organization is embarking on a new master use plan.
“We have engaged Gensler, a global architecture and design firm, to lead the master plan with the goal of expanding programming opportunities and improvements,” Pancheri said. “The land has provided the community with recreational opportunities and cultural celebrations for decades; our vision includes increased public use and accessibility in the future.”
The park offers unique opportunities with permanent facilities and infrastructure to host a variety of special events and concerts.
This year, Summerfest celebrated a record number of sponsorships with 64 total partners, including 14 new sponsors and 33 additional exhibitors.
The sponsorship model for Summerfest allows MWF to offer national entertainment across a variety of music while keeping general admission ticket prices at an accessible $28.
“The event and concert industry has been dramatically reshaped following the pandemic, leading to increased costs and competition in the marketplace,” Pancheri said. “Demand for live events continues, but the challenge of navigating increased operational costs is one of our biggest challenges.”
MWF is investing in operational technology, specifically with security and point-of-sale systems, including adding the Clover system throughout the park, and Evolv Technology, a contactless security screening system, to speed up the entry process and aid in keeping the grounds secure.
MWF is also working to improve sustainability by increasing green efforts, including increasing the number of LED fixtures and adding more recycling bins throughout the grounds.
Over the last 20 years, the organization and its sponsors have invested $160 million in capital improvements into the festival grounds. Programming outside of Summerfest dates has also expanded with the 5,000-capacity BMO Pavilion and American Family Amphitheater used throughout the summer.
The park has seen a significant increase in activity, hosting 83% more events in 2023 than 2019. The goal of the master plan focuses on the increased use of the lakefront park, aligning with the MWF mission of offering increased public use and accessibility.
“We are excited to kick off the Master Use Plan for Henry Maier Festival Park, while maintaining a world-class experience for Summerfest, concerts and ethnic and cultural festivals, which define Milwaukee’s reputation as the City of Festivals,” Pancheri said. — Wendy Pearl
