Summerfest has announced its 2012 attendance figures, and to the surprise of nobody who stepped outside at any point during the festival\'s run, they were down a bit from last year. The festival drew 805,437 attendees over its 11-day run, less than the 878,636 who took in the event last year. The festival countered oppressive heat indexes in the 90s and 100s for eight of its 11 days, and gate ticket sales and food and beverage sales took a notable hit, sliding by 7.5%. Nonetheless, the festival noted, business-to-business sales were up 11.4% thanks to new sponsorships.<br /><br />For business wonks who want to comb through the whole Summerfest press release, it\'s posted below in its entirety. <br /><br /> <blockquote>MILWAUKEE July 12, 2012 – Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. officials announced preliminary data indicating, Summerfest, the World\'s Largest Music Festival, increased revenue in key business to business categories including Sponsorships, Business Group Sales and Exhibitors by 11.4% and managed to draw and host 805,437 attendees during a record setting heat wave in 2012. The attendance number was slightly less than the range of 825,000 to 900,000 attendees Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. had planned for the 11-day run. This year\'s attendance figure brings the six year accumulative total attendance to 5,099,030 festival fans.<br /><br />The music wasn\'t all that was hot at the 45th Anniversary of Summerfest! The 11 day mega-event and festival fans battled heat indexes in the 90\'s and 100\'s on eight (8) of the eleven (11) operating days, with five (5) of the operating days under Official Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings issued by the National Weather Service for Milwaukee County. Though 73% of this year\'s operating days were affected by significant heat, the combined revenue derived from gate ticket sales as well as food and beverage commissions, only decreased by 7.5% compared to last year\'s totals in the same categories with attendance declining 8.3% from 878,636 to 805,437 in 2012. <br /><br />Though extreme heat impacted attendance and consumer spending in 2012, Summerfest\'s business to business revenues were up 11.4%. Sponsorships, Business Group Sales and Exhibitors categories collectively continued to build off of last year\'s momentum and totals, providing a solid financial foundation for this year\'s event. The most notable new agreements included a five year sponsorship with BMO Harris Bank and a new multi-year agreement with U.S. Cellular. Additional new partnerships included Rockstar Energy Drink, Lucille\'s and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. <br /><br />“We are very pleased with our business to business sales results, however, the extended heat impacted the attendance and revenue results this year. In the outdoor event business, weather is always a risk. This year\'s extreme stretch of heat was something that this region has not seen for decades and unfortunately prevented many Summerfest fans from coming out to enjoy the event,” said Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Don Smiley. “The talent lineup, new BMO Harris Pavilion, 45th Anniversary promotions, food and beverage offerings all were fantastic and I am proud of what our team and vendor partners did to make this year\'s 45th Anniversary special. We are thankful to everyone who supported and attended Summerfest this year and hope next year\'s event will have great Summerfest weather once again.” <br /><br />Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. completed Phase Two of a two-year $35 million renovation of 22-acres of the 75-acre site, Henry Maier Festival Park. Phase Two featured a new state of the art covered venue, the BMO Harris Pavilion, which easily became the star of the event as a new spectacular addition to Milwaukee\'s lakefront. The project also included new restrooms and a water side restaurant, Saz\'s Dockside Barbecue. Phase 1 of the redevelopment project was completed for Summerfest 2011, featuring a newly redesigned outdoor stage/venue titled, “The Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard”, a new South Gate and Box Office, as well as new food and beverage buildings and restrooms. <br /><br />Over 1,000 individuals worked on one aspect or another of this two-year construction project which created 420 full-time equivalent jobs.<br /><br />“I could not be more pleased with the results of our Phase One and Phase Two South End renovation project. Specifically, the new BMO Harris Pavilion is a dynamic, high-quality venue that enhances and celebrates our beautiful lakefront with amazing views of the water and delivers superior production, sightlines and amenities to attendees,” stated Dan Minahan, Chairman of the Board of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “We hope patrons and entertainers alike will enjoy the new venue for decades to come.”<br /><br />This year\'s marketing strategy continued to focus on quality and value. Summerfest\'s Marcus Amphitheater lineup included Rascal Flatts with special guests Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Eden\'s Edge, Foo Fighters with special guest Silversun Pickups, Train and Kelly Clarkson with special guest Brett Dennen, Lady Antebellum with special guests Darius Rucker and Thompson Square, Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour, Tiёsto with special guests Steve Aoki, Zedd, R3hab, Tommy Trash and Pierce Fulton, Iron Maiden with special guest Alice Cooper, Zac Brown Band with special guests Blackberry Smoke and Sonia Leigh, Big Time Rush with special guests Cody Simpson and Rachel Crow, Aerosmith with special guest Cheap Trick and Neil Diamond.<br />Performers on the grounds stages included The Avett Brothers, Kool & the Gang, Fitz and the Tantrums, Gov\'t Mule, Sublime with Rome, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Cake, Phil Vassar, Lupe Fiasco, We Came As Romans, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Phantom, Rocker & Slick, ZZ Top, Steve Miller Band, The Dirty Heads, The Country Throwdown Tour featuring Gary Allan, Rodney Atkins, Josh Thompson and Sunny Sweeney, Hanson, Eric Benet, The Promise Ring, Gary Clark Jr., Ben Folds Five, Atmosphere, Paul Oakenfold, Sleeper Agent, Fun., Jimmy Cliff, Kellie Pickler, The Hives, Morris Day and the Time, MUTEMATH, , The Roots, Three Dog Night, GIVERS, Scorpions, Thievery Corporation, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Robyn, The Head and the Heart, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, All That Remains, Chicago, Trampled By Turtles, Civil Twilight, Joe Walsh, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Skillet, Devotchka, Paul Thorn, Gavin DeGraw, Bob Mould performing “Copper Blue”, Ziggy Marley, Galactic, 311, Fountains of Wayne, The BoDeans, David Gray, The Joy Formidable, Mat Kearney, Death Cab for Cutie, Motion City Soundtrack, Young the Giant, O.A.R., Adelita\'s Way, Dennis DeYoung: The Music of Styx, AWOLNATION, Common, Hollywood Undead, Anthony Hamilton, Chevelle, Squeeze, La India and Tito Rojas, Halestorm, B-52s, Bush and hundreds more.<br /><br />The Summerfest Rock \'n Sole Run returned for the second year on June 23, 2012 at 7:00 am kicking-off the week leading up to the 45th Anniversary of Summerfest. The event, presented by BMO Harris Bank, sold out with 7,400 registered runners from 41 states and 5 countries including the United States, Australia and Germany. The total included an additional 800 registered participants over the inaugural race in 2011, which hosted 6,567 runners. New in 2012, the Summerfest Rock \'n Sole Run featured half marathon, quarter marathon and 5K routes and once again, participants had the opportunity to run over the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge and enjoy views of downtown Milwaukee, Lake Michigan and Henry Maier Festival Park from the improved courses.<br /><br />Next year\'s operating dates will be June 26 – 30 and July 2 – 7, 2013. Summerfest will be closed on Monday, July 1 and open on Thursday, July 4.<br /></blockquote>
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