Summerfest's 2008 attendance was 831,024. And, while I'm sure that most will interpret this as "another decline," let's remember that this is still an average of 75,548 people per day -- an impressive number given the severe and threatening weather on four key days and general state of gas prices.

Last year, the festival hit 864,866, which was down slightly from 901,841 in 2006. For those interested here are some additional Summerfest numbers, 2005: 901,841, 2004: 867,754 and 2001: 1,039,794.

"We are pleased with our 2008 results considering key factors that were out of our control," said Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, Don Smiley. "We kept prices affordable, delivered a quality experience for our patrons and remained profitable during tough economic times. We are thankful to everyone who supported and attended Summerfest this year."

Attendance of 825,000 to 900,000 was what Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. had planned and budgeted for. And, new promotional partnerships strengthened Summerfest's business-to-business revenue. New relationships, including Johnson Controls, Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Buell Motorcycles, Focus On Energy, Pick 'n Save, MMSD / Milorganite, TruGreen, OnMilwaukee.com, Cream City Music, Zude.com, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sabor and Botanas, helped Summerfest offer value and quality through relevant music, food, beverage and entertainment.

Summerfest 2009 takes place June 25-July 5 from noon until midnight daily.