Local company brings style to Summerfest, State Fair

Like many Wisconsinites, Dan Elias hopes for "awesome" weather during Summerfest and State Fair.

Of course, his definition of "awesome" may be a bit different than most.

Call it an occupational hazard.

Elias is vice president of Express Promotions, the West Allis-based company that sells T-shirts, sweatshirts and other merchandise on the grounds at the Big Gig and State Fair.

Over the past few years, Elias has learned that the very weather pattern that frustrates many festival patrons -- partly sunny and deceptively cool -- can be good for business.

"I have to admit -- I like a nice breeze off the lake," he said as the Big Gig headed into its final days last week. "Cooler days are good for us, because we can sell a lot of sweat shirts and long-sleeve T-shirts."

Express Promotions operated five locations on the Summerfest grounds this year, employing a small army of high school and college workers to unpack, fold and ring up the merchandise at the retail locations.

"At State Fair, we normally do four locations but this year it might only be three," Elias said. "The fourth location has been at different locations all over the fair."

As is the case with most companies that conduct businesses at festivals, weather is everything for Express Promotions.

"We definitely keep an eye on that," Elias said. "We build about a third of our inventory to start, then we have blank product at the printer and every night we can print out to meet the expected demand.

"The first weekend of Summerfest this year, our best-selling item was a white Summerfest T-shirt," Elias said. "When it got cooler, we started to sell a lot of the black, full-zip hooded sweat shirts.

"We also had good response with a gray hooded sweatshirt that we designed ourselves. It was a quarter-zip shirt with a number 3 on it and with exposed seams and it kind of looked liked something you'd find at Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister or a store like that.

"The good thing about our products is that you know people are going to use them long after the festival is over."

Though the festivals are a few weeks and a few miles apart, Elias said there was a difference between patrons at Summerfest and State Fair.

"I think if someone comes to Summerfest to see Sheryl Crow at 10 p.m., they're not going anywhere and they want to be comfortable," he said. "At State Fair, people may be more likely to try to do something inside or they might just say ‘Well, we've had our cream puff. Let's just head home.' The Summerfest people are more likely to stick it out."

Elias said that his company -- which does between 15 and 18 percent of its annual revenue from the festivals and the rest from corporate promotional items and branding -- enjoys "outstanding" relationships with both festivals.

"They take very good care of us," he said. "I think they recognize that we are a local company, we work hard and do a good job. We're not just another vendor on the grounds. We're a partner. It's their party, but we help them with their brand. In a way, our success is also their success."

Elias said that Express Promotions used social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about deals and discounts.

"We had a good response to that," he said. "I think we'll do more of that in the future."