Many Summerfest patrons use stage names like "Briggs," "Miller" and "Harley" as shorthand for locations on the grounds.

For fest organizers, those corporate sponsors -- Briggs & Stratton, Miller Brewing Co., Harley-Davidson and others like them -- are a vital part of the operation.

Do you think $8 (weekdays before 4 p.m.) and $15 (after 4 p.m. and weekends) is a steep ticket price? Imagine what it would be without corporate sponsorship.

"We'd have to charge a lot more," said Don Smiley, Summerfest's president and chief executive officer. "Somebody has got to make that connection. If we didn't have these sponsors, we wouldn't be able to keep our ticket prices where we do.

"All you have to do is look at the other festivals like Coachella. (A three-day pass to Coachella in Indio, Calif., costs about $270). Can you imagine charging $200 for a ticket here? Those other festivals have to charge that because they don't have sponsors.

"If you look at the other festivals, our prices are very competitive."

In Milwaukee, the battle for sponsor dollars is competitive, too. A tight economy makes the job even tougher.

"We don't have a big corporate community," Smiley said. "Everyone is talking to the same companies about their events, their products, their content. As an entertainment event, we are right in that mix.

"(Signing sponsor deals) is always difficult. We go out and work our asses off to get these sponsors to try to keep our ticket prices down. There is no rocket science here. We need our sponsors and -- knock on wood -- we're doing pretty well. We're happy with where we're at."

What do corporate sponsors receive in exchange for their investment? In addition to the obvious exposure -- stage signage, festival programs, media coverage and perhaps a few free admission tickets -- the biggest benefit is what executives like to call "residual goodwill in the community."

This year, OnMilwaukee.com is a co-sponsor of the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Stage and Pavilion with Miller High Life.

"Every Milwaukee company strives to have its own Summerfest stage -- I know we did," said Andy Tarnoff, publisher of OnMilwaukee.com. "For a business like ours, it's a way to let our readers know we're serious about music, civic pride and our favorite 11 days every year. It gets our name out in front of hundreds of thousands potential readers and fans -- and it puts us in the front row to see some great live acts, too."

Briggs & Stratton, which manufactures engines for lawn mowers, pressure watchers and generators, has been a sponsor of the Big Backyard for several years after taking over the "Old Style Heartland" stage from G. Heileman Brewing Company. Skeptics, and perhaps even some shareholders, may wonder whether watching the BoDeans, Gnarls Barkley, Gavin DeGraw or other headliners will make fans want to purchase a new engine.

John Shiely, the chairman and chief executive officer at Briggs & Stratton, said that sponsorship benefits reach beyond sales. Shiely sees it as a source of employee pride and a strong recruiting tool for potential employees.

"We're not selling anything," Shiely said, noting that most of the company's customers are large retailers based in other states / countries. "All we're selling is the image of Briggs & Stratton as promoting diverse interests in music and sports and charitable causes."

Although the challenges of a tight economy have prompted the company to downsize some jobs and reduce donations to its charitable foundation, Shiely said the Summerfest deal remains "a marvelous experience."

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