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Music to my ears
- By Dan Davis
- May 8, 2009
As one marketing guru once told me, "A company should want to be where his competitors aren't."
So it was with a sense of pride that I saw a Wisconsin metal fabricator step up and support a community festival that also happens to be one of my favorite summertime events—Milwaukee's Summerfest, which runs June 25-July 5 on the city's lakefront.
KAPCO Inc., Grafton, Wis., is sponsoring a great deal for music lovers. Through KAPCO's partnership with the event organizer Milwaukee World Festival Inc., Summerfest attendees will be able to purchase $2 admission tickets for entry into the fairgrounds from noon until 8 p.m., June 30. Tickets typically go for $15, so that's a really good deal.
Not too many companies in the metal forming and fabricating sector make big splashes in the markets they serve. Many do a great job of marketing themselves through smaller avenues, such as sponsorships of sports teams or donating in-kind gifts to local charities, but large-scale sponsorships are unusual. Heck, sponsorships of any kind are really unusual in this economic climate.
Here's what KAPCO President Jim Kacmarcik had to say about his company's sponsorship: "Summerfest has always been one of the highlights of the summer, and KAPCO wanted to make sure the party continues for everyone. In a tough year for many, providing affordable entertainment is very important."
So what can visitors expect that one day out of the 11-day music festival? The lineups for the day are only starting to come together, but some of the headliners have been named. You've got Buddy Guy at the Harley-Davidson stage for those who like Chicago-style blues, and Billy Squier will be looking for some "kinda lover" at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Rock Stage. My wife wants to relive her metal days with Mr. Squire on that day.
To be honest, Summerfest is a great time. I heard one of my favorite nights of music there two years ago. I saw Ryan Bingham, a great west Texas singer and his band the Dead Horses; The Old 97s, a fun alternative country band from the Dallas area; and Son Volt, a soulful folk-rock group from the Midwest. They followed one another, and each performance only raised the bar for the next band. It was an outstanding night of music against the backdrop of a setting sun on Lake Michigan.
Nights like that help me to escape the real world, and that's a great gift. KAPCO's marketing move is music to my ears.
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The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
start your free subscriptionAbout the Author
Dan Davis
2135 Point Blvd.
Elgin, IL 60123
815-227-8281
Dan Davis is editor-in-chief of The Fabricator, the industry's most widely circulated metal fabricating magazine, and its sister publications, The Tube & Pipe Journal and The Welder. He has been with the publications since April 2002.
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