ELKHART, Ind — Elkhart’s RV Expo has a large economic impact during the week it takes place. Many people travel from all over the world to come shop RV parts or models, enjoy foods, and live entertainment.
Levon Johnson, President of Elkhart Chamber of Commerce says, “people are traveling in from all over the country. Most of the dealers stay one maybe two days, so they fly in, spend the night, go to the expo, or go to the expo, spend the night and fly out the next day, depending on where they are.”
According to Johnson, around 80% of RV manufacturing happens in Elkhart, so when this event comes each year, it brings large crowds.
For a restaurant owner in the area, Cam Snyder, preparation for this four-day expo happens months in advance.
Cam Snyder, Owner of Smokin Fattys BBQ says, “we started preparing for this three months ago, our catering division has been working since Saturday afternoon. We're around the clock. We've got a food truck as well, that's set up at the RV Hall of Fame, and that's booked all week. And we, we've been doing breakfast starting at four in the morning all the way till about midnight every night.”
Snyder has been in the restaurant business for around 23 years and owns a couple other hot spots in the area including: The Flipping Cow, Chubby Trout and a catering business.
Many of Snyders locations are in the same general area of Elkhart which are surrounded by hotels that get packed when the RV Expo comes around each year.
Snyder tells ABC 57’s Sidney Moore that this event is not only a great week for people visiting but it's also a great week for the people from the area.
Snyder says, “the vibe that this show brings to Elkhart, to the community. This is a small town, but it is, is big on vision and big on the entrepreneurial spirit, and it's just, it is the vibe that it brings, the energy that it brings, is just, it's amazing.”