Dave Herrell on how Visit Quad Cities tells the story of the Quad-Cities to visitors

As the CEO of Visit Quad Cities, the region's tourism bureau, Herrell has plenty of experience showing off the area's best sights. When it comes to deciding where to go first, he takes the time to get to know the people visiting.

"A lot of it depends on who they are," he said. "We always try to build a narrative around the Quad-Cities."

Community tours are a big part of telling the story of the Quad-Cities, he said. A driving tour to highlight various assets in the downtowns and neighborhoods shows off the diversity and unique features as well as historic properties, growth and development.

"We drive them around to give them a picture of what we look like. While we're doing that, there's intentionally behind it because we want to display that in the Quad-Cities, you can get anywhere in the region within 15-20 minutes," he said.

Commute times are a vital marketing asset for the community, he said, and help potential residents get a feel for what life would look like if they were to move to the area.

Authenticity is a big part of selling the Quad-Cities, Herrell said.

That includes showing off things the Quad-Cities is known for, like Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire and the more traditional, family-centric businesses like Lagomarcino's Confectionary, a family-owned store that has been in Moline since 1908.

"People gravitate toward the uniqueness and vibrancy of places," he said. "We always try to show off the momentum that's happening in the Quad-Cities."

In Moline, he recommends a stop at Mercado on Fifth. The nonprofit is known for its vibrant outdoor market every Friday during the summer, where dozens of entrepreneurs set up booths with food and retail items for sale.

"What we're trying to do is frame a story," he said. "We are always thinking through how do we take our assets and have those people experience those assets while they have an opportunity to do it."

In downtown Davenport, The Current Iowa marries those two aspects together. On the rooftop of the prestigious hotel is the UP Skybar, a lounge that gives visitors a complete view of the Quad-Cities while serving food and drinks.

Views of Modern Woodmen Park, Rock Island, the Rock Island Arsenal and all of downtown allow for a chance to start a conversation about the community, he said. One other rooftop in the Quad-Cities that has been popular lately is at the Last Picture House on Second Street in Davenport.

The boutique movie theater opened in December 2023. Before it was a state-of-the-art theater, the building sat vacant for years and was virtually taken down to the studs to become the gem it is today.

That entire section of downtown Davenport has dubbed itself Motor Row, an ode to the service stations and dealerships that once called the street home. Now it's home to multiple restaurants, retail and apartments with more of that on the way.

"The reason we do that is we are trying to show off progress. There's a reason we drive people back-and-forth across the I-74 bridge," Herrell said. "It's because we can talk about regional collaboration, that we're a regional economy, and that on any given day, you might go back and forth from Illinois to Iowa multiple times, and you can do that very easily."

That personal relationship and bond helps solidify the deal in many cases. It's not uncommon for people to come into the Visit Quad Cities office while in town for an interview or during their job search to ask questions.

Herrell said ensuring the process is not transactional or a one-time-only deal is key.

"We always try to make them feel like this is a place that is welcoming and that we want them here," he said. "We're trying to sell this place as much as we can, and you can do that with people. You can connect with the physical assets, but they also want to feel drawn to the people that they're interacting with."

It also offers a chance to get to know the person better and help them connect with interests in the area.

Arts in the Quad-Cities are rising in popularity and publicity, with the Figge Art Museum on Davenport's riverfront being a shining example of investment.

Conversations like those open the door to discuss the Quad City Symphony; a musical staple in the region since 1915. The symphony regularly plays at the Adler Theatre on Third Street, which has also brought in big names like Jerry Seinfeld, Nikki Glazer and John Mulaney.

"When you start using culture, it makes you feel bigger. So we can show off the region, but also make them feel that if they want to be in an attainable market and have kind of a smaller town feel, you can still have that, but you also have these opportunities of the big city," he said. "Our responsibility is to promote place and to promote the destination."