City of Bettendorf and Visit Quad Cities Wrap Up Historic Week Hosting the Iowa League of Cities Annual Conference & Exhibit at the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf

September 25, 2026 - For the first time ever, the Iowa League of Cities held its annual conference and exhibit in Bettendorf this week!

From Wednesday, September 23, 2026, through Friday, September 25, 2026, hundreds of city officials from across the state traveled to the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf for the three-day event, which is the League's largest educational offering of the year.

"The innovative leadership and can-do spirit of our hosts in Bettendorf was evident throughout the week," said League Director Mickey Shields. "The City of Bettendorf, Visit Quad Cities, and the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf made everyone feel welcome, and the attendees had an amazing experience. Planning for this conference began nearly a year ago, and our Quad Cities partners were incredible to work with. The pride they have in Bettendorf and the entire region came through in all our discussions."

During the conference, city officials attended sessions on municipal government issues and networked with colleagues at several events, one of which featured a special appearance by Rob Wolfe from American Pickers. Attendees also hopped on buses and golf carts to learn about a wide variety of local amenities, developments, and community partnerships, including the TBK Bank Sports Complex, Iron Tee Golf, The Plex, The Oculus on the I-74 Bridge, The Landing, The Learning Campus, Downtown Bettendorf, flood mitigation infrastructure along the Mississippi River, and outreach vehicles from the Family Museum, the Bettendorf Public Library, STEAM on Wheels, and the Quad City Botanical Center.

"This event is really about building relationships and learning from experts as city officials come together in one place to talk through the issues we're all facing and try to find common ground as well as solutions that best fit our communities," said Mayor Bob Gallagher. "This is an awesome conference, and we're so proud we were able to host it and showcase this part of the state."

"This week, we were able to reinforce to our guests that we are a region on the move and that there is a tremendous amount of positive momentum happening here in Bettendorf and the entire Quad Cities region," said Visit Quad Cities President and CEO Dave Herrell. "We were thrilled that the Iowa League of Cities selected the City of Bettendorf for their Annual Conference & Exhibit, and we can't thank the City of Bettendorf elected leaders and professional staff enough for embracing the Iowa League of Cities opportunity to ensure that we deliver our world-class hospitality to all attendees. It's been a privilege to work alongside them and the team at the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf in the planning and execution of this major event!"

For more on the 2026 Iowa League of Cities Annual Conference & Exhibit, watch this week's Mayor's Message.

In addition to our appreciation of Visit Quad Cities and the Isle Casino Hotel for partnering with the City of Bettendorf on this event, the City of Bettendorf would also like to thank the following sponsors for their support: John Deere, Iowa American Water, Bray Architects, HDR, and Estes Construction.