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John Deere Classic’s Global Impact Reaches More Than One Billion People

They say “Magic Happens Here” at the John Deere Classic, but the hope is to spread that magic around the entire region – on and off the course...

They say "Magic Happens Here" at the John Deere Classic, but the hope is to spread that magic around the entire region - on and off the course.

On Wednesday, July 10th during Good Morning Quad Cities, the President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities - Dave Herrell - joined News 8's Angie Sharp and Storm Track 8 Meteorologist Eric Sorensen at TPC Deere Run to talk about how much the JDC means to our area.

"I think a lot of times people get swept up into the field about who's playing," he said. "It really shouldn't matter. It's about the bigness of the event, it's about the bigness of our community. It's about the comradeship. It's about the civic pride. It's about all these things that are so possible that make this community special and if there's alignment with that, then that's where the magic happens."

Herrell said the JDC has a $50 million impact on the Quad Cities. He explained that Visit Quad Cities' goal is to leverage the 100,000 spectators who come to TPC Deere Run for this event every year.

"Our staff will be here every day," he assured. "We'll be in the Welcome Center to make sure that as guests are coming in that we're there to greet them, to answer any questions, have a little fun, have some interaction with them, because it's all about how we're selling, promoting, and building a relationship with potential customers."

Herrell is no stranger to multi-day mega golf tournaments. He's worked in Jacksonville, Florida during the Players Championship and Phoenix, Arizona during the Waste Management Open. Both tournaments also have connections with the PGA Tour.

"It's about brand. It's about charitable impact. It's about community. It's about hospitality. It's about volunteerism. It's about so many different things that really galvanizes a community and that's what the John Deere Classic does for us."

Herrell estimates that the JDC has a $50 million economic impact on the Quad Cities and he says this event has a global impact as well:

"We're talking over a billion people in terms of the reach that this event connects the Quad Cities to, so that's an amazing opportunity for us to not only build our brand, but build our story and our narrative," he explained. "The fact that we've got that many people that are tuned into the Quad Cities is a huge opportunity for the region."

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