The RV/MH Hall of Fame is moving ahead with plans to build a 38,000-square-foot event center. The center will be home to the annual Supplier’s Show conducted during Elkhart Extravaganza as well as other community events.
Hall of Fame President Darryl Searer discussed the plans in September’s RV News edition, saying additional space quickly would be put to use during the Supplier’s Show.
“Suppliers are showing they would like to have more space, and I have a list of suppliers who wanted space and could not get a booth (in 2021),” he said, weeks before the Supplier’s Show was canceled for the second consecutive year.
In announcing plans to move forward, the Hall of Fame said the larger event center would provide space to host functions outgrowing its current spaces. The Hall of Fame has 17,000 square feet of space at Ingram Hall and 21,000 square feet in the Peter Orthwein Pavilion.
The announcement launches a fundraising campaign to pay for the center, with hopes to open before the 2022 Supplier’s Show. No fundraising goals were announced; the recently completed manufactured housing museum had a $2 million goal.
“Five years ago, the city of Elkhart paid for a professional study to assess what this facility would mean to the city of Elkhart,” Searer said. “The consensus was overwhelmingly in favor after considering all of the benefits for the community, the industries that support this community, and the Hall of Fame.”
Fundraising campaign participants will be recognized as founders, with companies memorialized on a bronze plaque within the event center.
“There are numerous benefits this facility will offer to the industries and community,” Searer said. “First, the Elkhart Open House Supplier’s Show will be ensured for many years to come with a greatly increased availability for exhibitors to show under one roof. Second, the facility will be far more adequate to host large industry and community events that the existing spaces cannot currently support. This will come with an overall increase of resources for events such as break-out rooms, storage capacity, refreshment areas, restrooms, etc. Lastly, greater convenience in setups and tear downs due to more outlet points and garage doors that are thoughtfully placed. Overall, the benefits of this facility will be ample.”
Donation levels will be: Copper ($2,500), Bronze ($5,000), Silver ($10,000), Gold ($25,000), Diamond ($50,000), Platinum ($100,000) and Benefactor ($250,000+).
Donations can be made at the Hall of Fame website, rvmhhalloffame.org/neweventcenter/
For more information, contact Searer at 574-903-3850/[email protected] or Ryan Szklarek at 574-360-9789/[email protected].
