(Quad Cities) – The Network: Young Professionals of the Quad Cities, an initiative of the Quad Cities Chamber, is launching the area’s first Quad Cities Week April 29 – May 3. The program is designed to give businesses and residents a forum to celebrate the Quad Cities as a unified region.
“The strength of the Quad Cities lies in the resources and amenities that exist in all of our cities, not just in one or two,” says Tara Barney, CEO, Quad Cities Chamber. “We know that marketing the Quad Cities as a region of nearly half a million residents with a talented workforce, Fortune 500 companies and a host of top-notch quality of life amenities is significantly more powerful than promoting individual cities – as wonderful as they are. With Quad Cities Week, we are providing Quad Citians a forum to share everything that they value about our bi-state community, from Milan to Davenport, Rock Island to Eldridge, and everywhere in between,” Barney continued.
Chamber reps encourage everyone to participate in Quad Cities Week and offer a number of simple ways to get involved:
· Change the cover photo on your Facebook account to the designated Quad Cities Week image. The images are available for download at QuadCitiesChamber.com
· Highlight stories of businesses and people making the Quad Cities a better place, and update your status daily throughout the week on Facebook
· Use the hashtag #QuadCitiesWeek on Twitter and tweet about the Quad Cities
· Write a letter to the editor of our local newspapers outlining what you value about being in the Quad Cities
· Put a Quad Cities Week yard sign outside of your business, or if your company has an electronic sign, highlight Quad Cities Week
· Create your own way to celebrate the excitement of Quad Cities Week
“The Network is group of over 3,000 young professionals that has the ability to help shape how the rest of the world views the Quad Cities,” said Anne Spoden, director of The Network. “Social media is a great tool to build the Quad Cities reputation as a cool metro area by spotlighting our favorite places and things happening around the region.”
The Network has produced a video to generate excitement. Spoden says the video is currently circulating via social media and has had over 5,300 views so far.
The week-long celebration will officially kick off with a proclamation signing by area mayors, Arsenal representatives and county officials. The proclamation will be signed at 8:30 a.m. at Western Illinois University – Quad Cities on Monday, April 29.
As part of Quad Cities Week, The Network is also hosting its 3rd annual YP Symposium & Community Impact Awards on Thursday, May 2. The awards portion will feature individuals, businesses and amenities that have strengthened our community. The Symposium will include a café style discussion where young professionals will discuss what sets the Quad Cities apart from other regions our size, and how those benefits can be broadly communicated.
“For being our first year, I’m excited about the response that we’re getting. Major local employers like KJWW have agreed to change their corporate headquarters to Quad Cities, IL and we’ve distributed over 200 yard signs throughout the community,” says Spoden. “We think we’ve laid a strong foundation for an even stronger Quad Cities Week in 2014.”
For more information about Quad Cities Week, visit QuadCitiesChamber.com or contact Anne Spoden at [email protected].
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