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Coming soon: Better, unified Q-C signage

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By Doug Schorpp | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 6:35 PM CDT | () comments

Updating community representatives on various projects in the Quad-Cities was the aim of the Destination Quad-Cities Breakfast today in the Isle of Capri Conference Center in Bettendorf.

Hosted by the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, the presentation laid out the latest news on projects in the individual communities. Joe Taylor, president of the visitors bureau, shared updates on progress in response to consultant Bill Geist, who last year made recommendations for improving communication and cooperation among various area entities.

Among Geist’s recommendations was adoption of a wayfinding signage project in each city — and it was reported Wednesday that effort will be completed next month.

Coupled with the progress reports was what Taylor said is a clear message of collaboration and sense of community that resonates as organizations and municipalities work together on specific goals and projects.

“Today demonstrated how we are working together,” he said after the meeting. “Working together on all these projects will probably accelerate ... a synergy.”

Ray Forsythe, economic development director for the city of Moline, brought home that point in his presentation, saying a measure of success is seeing participants come together in “good community development.”

Taylor highlighted two projects labeled as essential after last year’s assessment by Geist. One is completion of the wayfinding signage project; the other is realignment of convention and visitors bureau operations.

Geist, president of Zeitgeist Consulting, a Madison, Wis.,-based consulting firm, was hired by the bureau to complete the first-ever destination assessment and review, which he did last spring after a five-day visit here in January 2007.

He listed several concerns and things to work on, including connecting attractions and other sites from one city to another.

“The one thing that holds you back is there is nothing to connect the dots,” Geist said last year. By using a system of color-coded signage, each city would be identified by a color that would be repeated on signs for the different attractions. The goal is to create a cohesiveness between the cities and their corridors.

The wayfinding signage proposal, first unveiled in 2001 by the visitors bureau, identified 217 signs that could be erected to promote 85 Quad-City attractions. The plan was developed by the Traverse City, Mich.-based Corbin Design.

Taylor said crews in each city will begin implementing the signs next month. “We hope to have it all done by June 30,” he said.

A second top priority was to consolidate bureau offices into one central location. Operations had been split into two locations — Union Station in Davenport and the old train depot in Moline. Now, all 12 staffers are located in an office at RiverStation at Bass Street Landing in Moline. That office also operates a visitors center.

A third top priority identified by the bureau’s board of directors is still being worked on. It is creation of a shuttle system that can carry visitors and local residents from one attraction to another. Taylor said the bureau is working with MetroLINK and others to find funding for the project.

Doug Schorpp can be contacted at (563) 383-2292 or dschorpp@qctimes.com.