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Elkhart approves 2026 marketing programs and funds downtown live‑music activation
Summary
The commission approved 2026 funding for Exit 92 and Do Downtown marketing cooperatives and endorsed continued partnership with Juke Entertainment; staff described digital geotargeting, billboard plans and reported music‑program metrics, and commissioners approved appropriations totalling the city shares described on the agenda.
The Elkhart Redevelopment Commission on Dec. 9 approved the city’s 2026 cooperative marketing agreements for Exit 92 and Do Downtown and advanced a collaboration agreement tied to downtown live‑music activation.
John Hunsberger, executive director of the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, presented Exit 92 marketing materials and said the program uses billboards and a location‑based digital advertising platform (Azira) to convert toll‑road travelers into hotel guests, diners and shoppers. Hunsberger said the platform anonymizes device responses and that the bureau can track visits and hotel stays in aggregated form.
The commission voted to appropriate $160,000 from the designated TIF area to cover the city’s share of the Exit 92 cooperative marketing program. Commissioners asked about outreach to sports tournament organizers and hoteliers; Hunsberger said the CVB coordinates with hoteliers and uses geotargeting for major events.
The commission also approved a $60,000 appropriation from Allocation Area #1 for the Do Downtown program, which Hunsberger and staff said is a merchant‑driven, hyper‑local promotion effort that uses radio, digital ads and website improvements (ITI Digital) to boost downtown foot traffic.
Griffin Eaton, CEO of Juke, reviewed the first year of a downtown activation partnership, reporting that the program recruited 16 venues, increased shows (from a baseline number presented) to 252 shows, attracted roughly 17,000 self‑reported attendees and generated an estimated food and beverage impact of about $300,000. Eaton outlined a 2026 plan to expand programming, improve communications and shift more financial support to private sponsors; staff discussed a collaboration agreement with Duke Technologies Inc. to advance programming and asked the commission to appropriate a $100,000 fee split among multiple TIF sources. The collaboration motion passed by voice vote.
Commissioners asked for more frequent reporting; one member requested another quarterly report. Staff said merchant testimonials and surveys show increased resident and visitor sentiment and continuing venue participation for 2026.
