February and March will be big months for Elkhart County’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Hundreds of athletes, coaches, family and friends will come to Elkhart for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships February 11-15. The event will take place at Elkhart Health and Aquatics.
That’s followed by the NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships three weeks later.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference event was staged in Elkhart in 2021 and 2022. The 2026 GLVC Championships are also planned for Elkhart.
“Our league boasts some of the top women’s and men’s teams in NCAA Division II and we’re thrilled to provide our talented student-athletes with such a great venue to compete and showcase all our programs,” said Jim Naumovich, GLVC commissioner, in a press release.
The event is expected to include around 500 student-athletes and coaches and 100 volunteers and support staff. On average, 350 fans will attend per day. There are 11 member schools in the conference, including the University of Indianapolis.
“We welcome everyone from the GLVC and its member schools to Elkhart and hope they have an excellent meet with plenty of highlights and personal bests,” Jon Hunsberger, Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director, said.
Elkhart County CVB staff have been working with conference organizers to coordinate lodging opportunities with local hotels. They also have been organizing other services that teams will need while they are in Elkhart. Teams will have access to a website created by the bureau providing information about visiting Elkhart County.
“We know GLVC members and their fans will also love the diverse lodging opportunities, restaurants and shopping while they’re here for five days or more,” Hunsberger said.
Sports events that carries over multiple days, with competitors from outside Elkhart County, provide economic benefits to Elkhart County businesses. Visitors stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop at local stores. A 2023 swimming event brought about 1,500 competitors and coaches to Elkhart for four days. The event generated more than $1.1 million in spending by visitors.
