Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau hosts Tourism Matters Special Event

The Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ECCVB) kicked off the month by hosting its Tourism Matters Happy Hour at Goshen Brewing Company (GBCo) on Thursday, October 1. The event served as a kickoff for ECCVB’s local brewery showcase, Well Crafted Signature Sips, as well as an address regarding the latest tourism statistics for the county and the first unveiling of an upcoming Elkhart County art exhibit.

Well Crafted Signature Sips began last year as a result of collaborative efforts between ECCVB and various local breweries. Signature Sips serves as a way to highlight the food and drink culture across Elkhart County. This month marks the second instance of the showcase, providing local breweries the platform to share unique, exclusive brews with both residents and tourists of Elkhart County alike.

Jesse Sensenig, founder and owner of Goshen Brewing Company, shared his satisfaction at being involved with the initiative.

“We really strive to be an asset in the community and to be a collaborative partner with everybody in the region as much as we can,” Sensenig said. “We’re always making connections with people, community, and businesses. The bureau’s great at helping to spread the word of what everybody’s doing and trying to connect people.”

Last year, Signature Sips drew from three local breweries, including Goshen Brewing Company, Iechyd Da Brewing Company, and Brass Elk Brewing. This year, the program accrued two more businesses, Wedgewood Brewing Company and Westwind Brewery Co.

Each brewery has concocted its own beverage to be exclusively sold this October.

Following success from the Signature Sips initiative last year, the efforts at this kickoff served to bring awareness to the collaboration, as well as encompass other aspects of ECCVB’s mission.

ECCVB executive director Jon Hunsberger spoke further about the organization’s process of the event.

“We just received the latest tourism economic impact numbers in August. We thought, ‘How do we elevate that conversation of impact?’ Along with that, we knew the Signature Sips was coming, and we wanted to be able to promote that,” Hunsberger said. “So we thought, ‘Why don’t we just do a big celebration to announce the tourism impact numbers, but then also kick off Signature Sips?’”

Guests began arriving around 4:30 p.m., socializing and enjoying appetizers and beverages from the bar. The group gathered under the open-air lobby of Goshen Brewing Company, accompanied by fair weather. The official address kicked off just after 5:15 p.m., starting with an introduction by Hunsberger, the master of ceremonies for the evening.

“I want to say thank you to Jesse Sensenig and his entire team at GBCo for hosting us,” Hunsberger said. “We know that many residents come here, day in and day out. You are an excellent representation of tourism destinations here in Elkhart County. This is the kind of place that we often want to showcase.”

Hunsberger continued his address, pointing towards the importance of ECCVB’s work gauging the local tourism industry.

“Tourism and hospitality businesses and organizations drive the arts and culture in Elkhart County in the downtowns and in our rural spaces,” Hunsberger said. “As part of our responsibility to our partners in each community and to demonstrate how well the resources that we’re blessed to receive each year are amplified across Elkhart County, we at the Elkhart County CVB measure that success, and we measure the difference that it makes.”

According to the 2025 data, Elkhart County’s hospitality and tourism industry saw a combined impact of $920 million, with at least $625 million coming from visitors to the county.

“The businesses and attractions that received this revenue also reinvested back into their own operations. They paid for salaries, they paid for benefits, but they were also buying goods and services,” Hunsberger said. “That’s what we call the ripple effect.”

Hunsberger then introduced Michael Wambaugh, director of administrative affairs for the City of Goshen, who spoke about the development of the community.

“The word is out. When people talk about Goshen, they talk about it as a destination. Concerts at Ignition Garage, a night at GBCo—there’s just so many things that people come here for now,” Wambaugh said. “I could not have imagined this when I was growing up.”

Hunsberger took the stage again to draw attention to the Quilt Gardens of Elkhart County, highlighting their upcoming 20th anniversary celebration, including the return of favorite exhibits as well as the debut of a documentary about the gardens in spring 2027.

Sensenig followed this announcement, speaking on behalf of Goshen Brewing Company.

“When someone visits Elkhart County, they aren’t simply looking for a restaurant or a brewery. They’re looking for that story. They want to experience something that feels authentic to the area and place that they’re visiting,” Sensenig said. “That’s why our connection with CVB is so important. They really help tell the story of the community to people who maybe haven’t heard about a lot of us.”

Closing out the event, Hunsberger announced the plan for Elkhart County to move forward in hosting Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s TROLLS: A Field Study outdoor art exhibition in Summer 2028. The travelling exhibit features 12 of Dambo’s distinct wooden sculptures, made of various materials, primarily recycled or repurposed. Each of the 12 trolls will be placed throughout the county, creating an interactive and immersive experience for those looking to enjoy the art. Hunsberger discussed the overlap between the county and the exhibit.

“We think that Elkhart County is a pretty perfect place for this experience,” Hunsberger said. “We are a community built on craftsmanship and creativity with incredible parks, trails, outdoor spaces, and communities. We love welcoming visitors and encouraging exploration.”

The exhibit is expected to run from May 29, 2028 to September 30, 2028.

The address closed with a toast using Goshen Brewing Company’s Signature Sips exclusive beverage, Smoked Porter.

For ECCVB, this event represents a broader goal to cultivate unity among those who call Elkhart County home. Its efforts as an organization lend to building up a collective esteem that tells visitors what exactly Elkhart County is about.

“Each and every one of us contributes to what we call the tourism economy. Visitors come into your community to explore and find out something new and exciting about your community. You never know when you’re going to talk to a visitor or interact,” Hunsberger said. “When we talk about our community in a positive way, that will affect and influence a visitor to think, ‘Oh, they really care about the community.’ It’s not lost on us as the Convention Visitors Bureau that we need to encourage and support the development of that community pride.”

For more information about the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau, visit this page.