By Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jun 24, 2009 at 8:28 AM Photography: Zach Karpinski

If you have hosted -- or even attended -- an enjoyable wedding, graduation party or even a family cookout in recent weeks, chances are that you noticed how important planning and execution are to ensuring the success of such events.

And, you probably have what Don Smiley is up against in the next two weeks.

In case you missed the memo, Summerfest starts tomorrow. As president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., Smiley and his staff on Harbor Drive are responsible for the 11-day orgy of music, food and beer on Milwaukee's Lakefront that is billed as "The World's Largest Music Festival."

We talked with Smiley last week about the latest edition of the Big Gig, which will be his sixth at the helm. Enjoy this Milwaukee Talks with Don Smiley, 2009.

OnMilwaukee.com: What is it like for you in the final days leading up to the festival? Are you checking the weather reports every five minutes?

Don Smiley: That is (vice president of entertainment) Bob Babisch's job. He started in February checking out the weather for late June and July (laughs). No, we've been at it. We've really put a lot of time and effort into this particular Summerfest, which is the 42nd Summerfest. And with the economy being the way that it is, certainly in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the first quarter this year, we've set out to do a couple things.

OMC: What types of things?

DS: Number one, we wanted to make sure the quality of the product was up to par and even better than it was last year. And number two, we wanted to create value packages for customers so that when they go to our Web site, which is Summerfest.com, it would be very difficult for a customer to say, "I can't afford to go to Summerfest because of the value packages put out this year."

It was all contemplated in a way that we wanted to make sure everyone could afford to go to Summerfest. You can either get in free or for very little money. If you go Friday night or Saturday night at 9 o'clock, the highest ticket price you'll pay is $15. We have Kapco Two-Buck Tuesday this year, so from 12 to 8 p.m., you can get in for $2. We have a "3 for $33" ticket package this year. We just completed a ticket promotion with the Milwaukee Brewers and Harley-Davidson. So, there is all kinds of ways to enjoy Summerfest for very little money.

On the other hand, we spent more money on our ground stages entertainment than we did last year, to the tune of 7.8 percent, which translates into $232,000 more than last year. So, we wanted to increase the quality of the product, and then in turn, make sure that everyone had a chance to afford a ticket to Summerfest and come down and enjoy the world's largest music festival.

OMC: You talk about the importance of keeping costs down for the customer. How hard is that to do in this climate, when the cost of everything seems to be going up? The costs of keeping a band on the road aren't going down. Neither is the cost of beer cups or mozzarella sticks. How do you avoid passing on costs to the customer?

DS: You are right, none of this is getting cheaper between the production, the bands and all the costs that are associated with pulling off a mega-event of this stature. You have to be very good at managing your expenses line by line, no matter how small you think the expense may be. I mean right down to a $500 line-item expense. After this event is over, we will start with our budget at the end of August and go into September and October and just tear the whole business apart line by line and manage those expenses. Wherever we can save, we re-invest back in to the event.

So, we really try hard to keep our ticket prices low. We try to do the best job possible with corporate sponsors, and the like with which, if we didn't have the corporate sponsors that we have, and we didn't have the volunteers that we have to help make this event what it is, there is just no way we could pull it off if we had to pay for everything that is associated with signing 700 bands over eleven days and so on. Kudos to our corporate sponsors and our volunteers.

OMC: Bashing the music lineup at Summerfest has become an unofficial local pastime. A lot of people look at the lineup and say "They just bring the same bands every year," or that "The acts are geared toward an older demographic." In past years, we've talked about the calendar, competition from Europe, tour routing and other factors that prevent you from booking every act you'd like. But, as you get ready to welcome bands like Bon Jovi, Steve Wonder and others, do you worry about a time when bands of that stripe are no longer available?

DS: Right now, it is not an issue. But that is an issue for the future as you were discussing. Classic rock bands, really good classic rock bands ... I liken it to the Senior Tour in golf. It really is the ultimate mulligan because there is really a market for those types of bands all around the United States and internationally.

Sooner or later, they are going to put their guitars and drumsticks down and they are going to be done, so it begs the question: Who's next? Who is coming along the way here? Sometimes, this event is a lot like a sports team in that you are critiqued continually about the lineup. Now this happens to be a musical lineup versus a lineup you would put between the lines. But the fact is that critique is usually all about passion and people love the event. And we are asked the question: Why not this group in the Amphitheater? Or why not that group in that Amphitheater? And, generally speaking, that group is not of the stature yet of selling enough tickets for a 23,000-seat Amphitheater than the groups that are out there touring. But the question remains: What happens when the Bon Jovis are done? What happens when the Kenny Chesneys are done, and so on and so forth. Who is next? It is a valid question.

OMC: While some may see the "repeat" headliners like that as a drawback, you could probably point to the top-selling acts keep coming back, year after year, as a positive, right?

DS: This is the 42nd year of Summerfest, so there is a credibility factor that goers a long way with the groups that are signed. Bob Babisch has been signing those groups for many, many years. They do love Milwaukee; they do love Summerfest. We do compete with all of the music festivals in Europe. It becomes a chess game to fit bands that are touring into our 11 days. Just because they are out there working, does not mean they fit into our 11 days. So if we get critiqued as to, "Why didn't you sign this band or that band?" -- chances are they did not fit into our 11 days. So, that is some of the chess playing that you have to do to make this all work.

OMC: It seems like there are a few things that are recession-proof in this market right now -- beer, bratwurst, the Brewers and Summerfest. In the last few years, you started to announce Amphitheater shows early in order to help build buzz and sell tickets. Has that helped?

DS: There is no question. The Amp shows sold and they sold early, which was a really good indicator to us because obviously a concert of that nature is a luxury and not a necessity. So, we were a little nervous in December and January as to how all of this was going to go this year, and so on. But when we put those shows up for sale and they sold, that is a pretty good indicator that there is some money out there in the market. I mean, the Brewers can attest to that. Their attendance is outstanding, and their per caps (spending per capita) have to be through the roof.

OMC: Given your background in baseball, as president of the Florida Marlins, can you go to Brewers games and relax or do you find yourself looking at concession lines and parking issues and hot dog wrappers on the concourse like a team executive. Are you able to shut that part of your brain off and enjoy the game?

DS: I can't shut it off, but I don't have to worry about it anymore. One thing I will say about Miller Park (is) how extremely clean it is. It is funny you say that, because I have noticed what a good job they do in keeping that ballpark very clean. That is not easy to do. Now, when you get in the strategy side of the game, it is really easy to just sit there just as a ticket buyer and not have to worry why this guy can't throw strikes.

OMC: Like a baseball team, you deal with big crowds in a short period of time. You just do it over 11 days and not over a whole summer.

DS: We have 11 days to make an impression. And we want to -- I think Disney World is the gold standard when it comes to customer service, and ingress and egress and cleanliness and quality. And we want to get as close to that as possible in the way that we implement our operating philosophy.

OMC: If you could wave a magic wand, what one band would you like to have headline the Amphitheater?

DS: Of course, it would be the Beatles. Now that wand is bringing people back that are not here anymore. That's a tough question.

OMC: What about bands that are still together? Would it be Bruce Springsteen?

DS: Well, Springsteen was part of the Harley Festival that was right outside of our gates last year. I think that show is so large that it probably wouldn't go in a 23,000 seat Amphitheater. I would have to think about that. I have seen so many groups come through there now. This is my sixth year here. I would have to get back to you on that on who the magic wand would produce.

OMC: A lot of cities have tried to copy your formula in the past. I'm wondering -- if there was a comparable festival running around the same time in another Midwestern city -- let's say Chicago, because a lot of your customers pay tolls to get to Summerfest -- how would that impact your bottom line? On one hand, you might lose some attendance. But, would it help you draw more acts because of routing? How would that balance out?

DS: I think it would probably be a plus on the routing side. If it is too close to you, obviously, it cuts into your ticket sales, but you are right, 17 percent or so of our audience comes from the Chicagoland area. They are coming up here and sleeping in hotels and hanging out for two or three days and spending their hard-earned money. So, we like that. They usually pay full price for everything, too. It is not that they are looking for a promotion to come up here ... Those are nice music fans to have, because they pay full boat. But, I think from a routing standpoint that would be helpful.

OMC: What changes will people notice when they walk through the gates on Thursday?

DS: Well, we repositioned the Classic Rock Stage, which we build from ground up every year. We repositioned it so that it plays a little bit northwest instead of due north. That will provide more room and little bit more breathing space for our fans that go to the M&I Fiduciary Classic Rock Stage.

We really have our eye on towards the future, and we want to spend anywhere between $15 million and $20 million completely redoing the south end or redeveloping the south end, which is going to include many bulldozers, a fine architectural plan and something that we can build for the next 20 years, so that the people who follow us in the management of Summerfest will have this type of infrastructure to work with for the next 20 to 25 years. We are working on a lease extension right now with the city so that it restores our lease back to the 20-year term that this lease started out at.

The reason that we need that lease extension is so that we can go ahead and spend that money, and that there is a reasonable time for some type of return on investment over the years. Obviously, you wouldn't go out and spend $20 million dollars when you only have 10 years left on a lease. So, we have been working cooperatively with the city on that. We are making some progress and as soon as that is done, we will get to the design plans, and the architects will get seriously involved, and then we will redevelop that south end all the way up the Amphitheater.

OMC: Given some of the problems that have happened at street festivals and gatherings in the city, how concerned are you about security entering this year?

DS: We spend a lot of money on our own security, and of course, the City of Milwaukee Police Department works very closely with us on traffic and of also grounds security. We do not take it lightly; we take it very seriously.

We have invested a lot of money in video cameras all over the grounds, so if you decide to be a knucklehead, that is fine, but you are going to be on television and we will be able to identify you and so on and so forth.

It is funny. More than 75 percent of the arrests over the last couple of years have come from out of the market, so in other words, the people in our zip codes that we are generally aware of in the surrounding counties that we call home. (These) people behave themselves very well and of course, there are a few knuckleheads here and there.

This is an event for all of us. The way we look at it, this is a mega event, and this needs to be treated like a mega-event. Just like Indianapolis has the 500, Daytona has their race, Louisville has the Kentucky Derby Festival, Pasadena has the Parade of Roses. Milwaukee and its surrounding counties have Summerfest. We draw anywhere between 825,000 and 900,000 people depending on the weather in any given year. When you look at the attendance for the Packers during an entire season, it is right up there with that type of number. We take it seriously.

OMC: Last question -- What's the best perk that comes with being the president of Summerfest?

DS: It's usually getting tickets to anything you want, if you want to do that. It is really hard to say, after there are 700 bands visiting your own backyard, that you want to go to any concert anywhere after something like that.

OMC: OK, this is really the last question. Do you ever get a chance to enjoy a show at Summerfest? I imagine that even if there is an artist you really like and you have great seats in the seventh row, you're still looking at your Blackberry and answering questions and worrying about operations. Do you get time to enjoy a show?

DS: You can enjoy half an hour. Absolutely, there is no question about that. I mean you are on your feet; you don't sit down and enjoy a show because you are always doing something or you are always on call.

You know, now that you brought that up, there is a great deal for Stevie Wonder this year. We just put a four pack on sale, which you can buy four tickets for $125. Four bleacher seats -- that is a savings of $100. We also put a four-pack on for The Fray. We are trying to put some bleacher seats out there, which is a four pack for The Fray at $99, which is also a significant savings. Those tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster.com.

But you are right. I mean, it is not like I can sit down for 2 1/2 hours and enjoy a concert and not be thinking or worrying about other things. It is just fantastic. Obviously, we know what times everything starts and what time he is going to sing or they are going to sing a certain song, so when we have the set list, it is nice to bounce in there and hear different songs that you like.

Drew Olson Special to OnMilwaukee.com

Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.