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CVV director previews tourism gains, marketing push and new website for Des Moines County
Summary
Chris Graham, executive director of the Commission and Visitors Bureau, told a Des Moines County work session that 2025 events and marketing lifted hotel occupancy and visitor counts; the bureau plans a dedicated tourism website and targeted campaigns for 2026 and will send the presentation materials by email.
Chris Graham, executive director of the Commission and Visitors Bureau, told a Des Moines County work session with the Greater Burlington Partnership that events and targeted marketing boosted visitor activity in 2025 and that the bureau will expand its promotion next year.
Graham said the bureau will cover a statewide tourism membership fee for three years so the county should not expect a funding request tied to that fee. He described broader trends in the state’s 2024 tourism data — noting a slight statewide dip compared with 2023 — and said Des Moines County nevertheless “punches above our weight” on tourism revenue relative to population.
The presentation highlighted 2025 event performance. Graham cited the inaugural Burlington Jazz Festival as a modest, promising two-day event with 11 performances across six venues; the second-year Twisted Cat Outdoors fishing tournament, which brought roughly 117–170 anglers and additional hotel room nights; and Burlington River Days, which he said drew about 12,000 visitors and nearly 300 hotel room nights. He estimated the Monster Match tournament generated roughly $2.8 million in local economic activity from lodging, dining and fuel spending.
Graham also discussed competition from regional sports facilities and efforts to recruit and retain tournaments. He said the bureau’s 2025 investment helped bring 14 additional teams to the Mississippi Cup and that the Musco Sports Complex in Muscatine (as named in the presentation) represents a regional facility that affects event decisions.
On marketing, Graham described a large increase in digital outreach in 2025 — “over 4,600,000 impressions,” more than double 2024 — and outlined tactics the bureau will continue and expand: in-studio television promotion via Quad Cities outlets, YouTube pre-roll ads, geofencing at industry conventions to reach likely visitors, short-form social videos, weekly blog posts to boost SEO, and targeted display campaigns tied to specific events.
He said the bureau ran a YouTube campaign promoting West Burlington as a relocation destination (intended to drive visits and, indirectly, tourism) and that those pre-roll ads were targeted across the river in Illinois. Graham said the bureau contracted a vendor to build a tourism-only website separate from the Greater Burlington Partnership member directory, with a hoped-for launch in early Q2 2026.
Audience members asked for the presentation PDF; Graham agreed to email the materials. Attendees suggested additional family-focused attractions — including monster truck shows and go-kart events — and discussed coordinating regional race calendars to avoid competing dates and to boost overall participation.
The presentation closed with Graham reiterating the bureau’s marketing priorities for 2026 and upcoming draws, including additional river-boat dockings and a large Holocaust exhibit planned at the Burlington Public Library that the presenter said is expected to draw thousands. Graham thanked attendees and confirmed follow-up materials would be provided.
