Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center
In nearby Bettendorf, the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center offers 24,000 square feet of meeting space with up to eight private meeting areas. The main area can be combined with a ballroom to seat up to 1,500 or partitioned off to support smaller events. Opened in 2009, the facility features modern decor and state-of-the-art facilities.
The center’s flexibility is enhanced by its connection to the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, which brings an additional 15,000 square feet of meeting space along with more than 500 suites and hotel rooms. Besides its impressive riverfront view, the complex has parking surfaces that are popular for car shows, equipment exhibitions and other outdoor events.
The iWireless Center John Deere Commons is located on the riverfront on the Illinois side. More than 300 rooms and 41,000 square feet of meeting space are complemented by a 12,000-seat arena and conference center. Located within two blocks are the Radisson John Deere Commons, with 162 rooms, and the Stoney Creek Inn and Conference Center. Connected by a bike path, the latter includes an additional 12,000 square feet of meeting space and 140 rooms with a north woods theme. During the season, hockey fans can find the Quad City Mallards of the East Coast Hockey League playing there.
Varied Venues
Hotel offerings in the Quad Cities are varied. They include the newly renovated Holiday Inn Rock Island, with 175 rooms and 10,300 square feet of meeting space, and the Hilton Garden Inn in Bettendorf, with 116 rooms and suites and meeting space for up to 250 people.
The recently opened Holiday Inn and Suites Davenport, with 104 rooms and 5,300 square feet of meeting space, features trendy restaurant The J Bar.
The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center includes 32,000 square feet of meeting space and 288 rooms, and Jumer’s Casino and Hotel has 205 rooms and 6,000 square feet of meeting space. At the Best Western Plus Steeplegate, which offers meeting space for up to 400 participants along with 118 guest rooms, an on-site bar and dance club operates as a popular night spot.
Other options include the Radisson Quad City Plaza, with 7,800 square feet of conference and banquet facilities and 221 rooms, and La Quinta Inns Davenport, with 3,000-plus square feet of meeting space.
At the Quad City Botanical Center, visitors can enjoy a glass garden conservatory, a 14-foot waterfall, reflecting pools, and islands displaying tropical flowers and plants. A spacious lobby fronts a 3,080-square-foot banquet room. The facility’s Doris and Victor Day Education Center converts into three separate meeting rooms.
For outdoor events, the plaza at Bass Street Landing in Moline offers an unusual venue. A raised performance stage features a white canopy and two columns simulating the outline of a steamboat, and sculptures of children fishing bring back memories of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn era. Along with plentiful outdoor seating and attractive lighting, the area includes the Great River bike path that runs along the river.
A refreshing trip on the continent’s longest river is the name of the game with Celebration Belle River Cruises. With cruises ranging from 90 minute jaunts to daylong events, planners can schedule business meetings on board the four-deck Celebration Belle, which accommodates up to 800 people. The boat can also provide a fun after-hours outing for conference guests.
