About Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance 
Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance is a premier independent music festival, hosting the industry’s biggest acts for an unforgettable live music experience.  Since its inception in 1968, Summerfest continues to distinguish itself as a top national music festival and has developed an unrivaled reputation, consistently featuring hundreds of performances across 12 stages, throughout the 75-acre festival grounds along Lake Michigan. Summerfest 2024 will take place over three weekends - June 20-22, June 27-29, and July 4-6. For more information, visit Summerfest.com, or follow us on social media @Summerfest on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.   

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., producer of Summerfest, continues to fulfill its nonprofit mission of bringing the community together and providing a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation to the public, through music and special events.

About Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.  

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is an independent, private 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1965 that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, a three-weekend music festival featuring over 600 artists across 12 stages.  Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. also maintains and improves Henry Maier Festival Park, located on 75 acres on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI.  In addition to Summerfest, Henry Maier Festival Park hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals, concerts, family programming, walks, runs, and other special events.  The mission of the organization is to promote an understanding of different ethnic cultures, the histories and traditions of various nationalities, harmony in the community, civic pride as well as to provide a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation for the public and employment opportunities for the youth of the community. For more details, visit MilwaukeeWorldFestival.com or Summerfest.com, and on socials @MilwaukeeWorldFestival or @Summerfest.  

Sarah Pancheri - Bio

Sarah Pancheri serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., (MWF) the non-profit organization that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance and manages, develops, and stewards the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park.  

The 2023 event season delivered big results for MWF, including various music events and concerts, and six cultural festivals.  In total, Henry Maier Festival Park recorded over 60 events and 1,215,394 attendees, while Summerfest hosted over 600 artists across of a variety of genres with a 40% year-over-year increase in attendance, as well as record sponsorship results.

After spending the formative years of her career with MWF, Sarah left the organization to gain experience as Managing Director for Milwaukee fundraising at Marquette University, and, later, as Vice President of Development and Communications for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.  Rejoining the MWF team in December 2015 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sarah continues to play a central role in strategic planning, budgeting, programming, and operating decisions for MWF.  She was promoted to President in 2022 and on January 1, 2024, she also assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer.

Sarah is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and currently serves as the Board Chair of VISIT Milwaukee, and is a member of the Marketing Committee of Travel Wisconsin / WI Department of Tourism. Sarah was named a Woman of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal and is also involved with several civic endeavors including the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. 

Scott Ziel - Bio

Scott has over 30 years of experience in the music industry.  He is the Vice President of Entertainment for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF), which produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, one of the largest music festivals in the country.  Scott joined MWF full time in 2015, after working as a consultant with the organization since 1992.

Scott and the entertainment team work year round to secure hundreds of artists for the festivals 12 stages, including the 24,000 seat American Family Insurance Amphitheater.  Scott leverages his relationships with top agents, managers, and music industry executives to find the biggest names in the industry to deliver a diverse lineup for Summerfest.  He also works in conjunction with festival sponsors to program the festival stages.  Other duties with MWF include booking artists for corporate partners such as American Family Insurance, Baird, Northwestern Mutual, Aurora, among others, in addition to securing headliners for other events in Wisconsin, such as Washington County Fair, Milwaukee Admirals Hockey Club, and private corporate gigs.

Early in his career, Scott established his own company, Don’t Records, an independent record label that helped bring Willy Porter, Paul Cebar, Citizen King, and others, to the national stage.  Additionally, Scott served as founder and principal of Pursuit Management, an entertainment consultancy firm that served as talent for numerous national music festivals, universities, and corporations.

Scott is a proud graduate of St. Norbert College and lives in Elm Grove, WI with his wife and four children.  He enjoys all types of music, golf, traveling, and cooking.