Behind the business of booking Summerfest

by June 4, 2018

June 4, 2018

Summerfest associate booking director Scott Ziel is responsible for booking an array of bands that appeal to the many different visitors the 11-day event welcomes each year.

“Summerfest is a festival for the people,” Scott Ziel, associate booking director, Summerfest, says about the iconic event.

Ziel embraces this ideal when brokering entertainment for the 11-day, 100+ act, 7-stage gig. The business of booking talent is a balancing act between market demand, music trends, summer tour schedules and the band’s desire to play the festival.

“The big-name artists decide when they want to perform, and we need to fit into the window of time,” Ziel says. Summerfest’s appeal is the “best entertainment value on the planet,” Ziel said. A $20 ticket? Yes, please. Read more.

– Kathleen Dohearty Penniston

The Business of Summerfest