Deaf Journey Media
Accessible tourism leader and content creator praises the Quad Cities for its commitment to inclusivity.
“Lindsey Row was an outstanding director of public relations and communications! It was a pleasure working with her, and I’m incredibly grateful for her efforts in hosting my first press trip to the Quad Cities. She went above and beyond to ensure my experience was accessible and inclusive. She even reserved an accessible room for me at The Current Iowa, Autograph Collection by Marriott, which featured thoughtful accessibility amenities like a visual doorbell light, a clear reflection of their commitment to inclusivity. Lindsey’s meticulous preparation and scheduling made my Visit Quad Cities trip seamless and enjoyable.”
In November 2024 Visit Quad Cities engaged Deaf Journey Media, led by Lily Yu and her husband and business partner Daniel Heidemeyer. Based in California, Lily and Daniel have traveled to all 50 states and internationally, documenting their experiences as deaf travelers while promoting accessibility and inclusivity to their 115,000 social media followers.
This partnership required approximately 10 hours of itinerary planning, including coordination with partner attractions to secure discounted or complimentary experiences, developing content deliverable agreements, and hiring a local ASL interpreter to support the visit. VQC staff met with Lily and Daniel during their trip at our Union Station Destination Center, gaining valuable insights into accessible travel and identifying opportunities to improve the Quad Cities’ inclusivity. Lily and Daniel expressed enthusiasm for their experience and shared interest in returning for a second trip to the Quad Cities.
Aligned with the organization’s objective to improve inclusivity and partner with accessibility solutions experts, this partnership resulted in some fantastic content highlighting the QC:
Professional Visual Content: Daniel’s professional photography and Lily’s drone-certified videography produced high-quality visuals from multiple Quad Cities attractions.
Short-Form Video Content: Videos were shared across Deaf Journey Media’s platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Blog Post: A detailed recap of the weekend highlighted key itinerary stops and destination attractions.
Instagram Collaboration: The Instagram reel was co-posted as a collaboration between @VisitQuadCities and @DeafJourneyMedia, maximizing audience reach and engagement.
This partnership not only elevated the Quad Cities as a destination committed to accessibility but also reinforced VQC’s efforts to connect with diverse audiences and showcase the region’s accessibility to all travelers.
Mapping Our Tracks
A Chicago-based couple visit the QC for the first time to experience all the region offers for young travelers.
Visit Quad Cities recently collaborated with Mapping Our Tracks, a Chicago-based travel duo, Adrianna and Kam. Their platform focuses on couple-friendly travel itineraries and showcases how individuals with full-time jobs can still explore new destinations. This project required approximately 8 hours of itinerary planning, including coordination with partner attractions to secure discounted or complimentary experiences and developing content deliverable agreements.
Aligned with Visit Quad Cities' goal of increasing awareness and sign-ups for its tourism products, this partnership focused on promoting the QC Ale Trail and QC Public Art Trail. The partnership contributed to increased sign-ups, keeping progress on track to meet a goal of a 10 percent average increase in participation across all tourism products by the end of FY25.
This partnership resulted in strong social media engagement and impactful content highlighting the Quad Cities:
Blog Post: A detailed recap outlining each itinerary stop, featuring key experiences in the Quad Cities.
Collaborative Instagram Posts: Content spotlighting the QC Ale Trail, the QC Public Art Trail, and an overview of five must-do activities in the Quad Cities.
High-Engagement Social Media Content: Shared across Mapping Our Tracks' platforms, amplifying awareness of QC’s unique tourism experiences.
This collaboration not only drove engagement and sign-ups for Visit Quad Cities’ tourism products but also reinforced its efforts to connect with millennial and working professional travelers, showcasing the QC as an accessible and exciting weekend getaway destination.
Travels with Darley
Award-winning PBS host Darley Newman experiences gems of the Quad Cities with the assistance of Visit Quad Cities.
The Illinois Office of Tourism (Enjoy Illinois) partnered with host Darley Newman and her award-winning PBS series, Travels with Darley, to showcase the Illinois Great River Road. As part of this collaboration, Visit Quad Cities was contacted by Enjoy Illinois to provide support for Darley’s visit to the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. Featured attractions included Rock Island Arsenal’s Quarters One and Arsenal Museum, Lagomarcino’s Confectionery and Centennial Bridge.
I played a key role in itinerary development and on-the-ground coordination, including:
Pitching itinerary ideas
Coordinating filming approvals with local attractions
Developing the filming schedule
Serving as a liaison between Enjoy Illinois, the Travels with Darley team, and Visit Quad Cities
Providing local guidance as the crew visited Moline and Rock Island.
The episode, part of season 12 of Travels with Darley, is set to air in 2025. In addition to providing on-the-ground support, Visit Quad Cities collaborated on social media promotions, generating high engagement and visibility ahead of the episode’s release.
