Description

AMp Up Morning Networking: The Future of Minor League Sports in the Quad Cities

Wednesday, January 15 | Jumer's Hotel & Casino
7 AM Registration | Breakfast | NETWORKING
7:30 - 8:30 AM Program

The Quad Cities is proud to be the home of three professional minor league sports teams - Quad Cities River Bandits baseball, Quad City Storm hockey and Quad City Steamwheelers football. Join us as we hear from team representatives on the economic impact each one has on our region and how we can best do our part to support them.

These sports teams improve our quality of life in the Quad Cities, providing opportunities for your employees to find fun entertainment and exciting sports action here in our region. We want the Quad Cities to be a place where people are excited to invest their lives, and that includes having the right amenities to attract and keep the workforce we need. Learn more about what simple, easy things you can do to support our teams.

Featured speakers:

• Doug Bland, Owner & General Manager, Quad City Steamwheelers
• Joe Kubly, General Manager, Quad Cities River Bandits
• Gwen Tombergs, President, Quad City Storm
• Ian Frink, President, Crawford Company

Doug Bland 
Doug Bland's 25-year career as a marketing executive and entrepreneur has been all based within the sports & entertainment field. Mr. Bland?s big break came as a 24-year-old when he introduced himself to Roger Penske at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 during the Inaugural Brickyard 400 NASCAR race. A few months later Bland was named a Marketing Director for Penske Motorsports, Inc, with the responsibility of sales and marketing for the California Speedway. At the end of 2017 season Doug sold the Dallas Marshals indoor arena football team for the opportunity to return to Illinois and revitalize the Quad City Steamwheelers franchise in the Indoor Football League. After a decade of dormancy the Quad City Steamwheelers took the field on February 22, 2018. During the 2018 and 2019 campaigns the team quickly became one of the league?s premier franchises. Doug was raised in the small town of Marseilles, IL, where his youth was filled with athletics. Doug's love for sports comes from being a three-sport athlete (football, basketball  and track) at Ottawa Township High School. He went on to attend the University of Illinois and Illinois Valley College where he played football and track while studying Business Administration.

Joe Kubly
Joe Kubly started his career in professional sports with the Atlanta Hawks in 2011 as a Ticket Sales Representative. After a year in Atlanta, he accepted a role in group sales and later as marketing manager with the Oklahoma City RedHawks (now the Oklahoma City Dodgers) and began his career in professional baseball. In early 2014, Joe first joined the River Bandits in sales and ticketing positions. After that historic 2015 season, Joe departed Quad Cities to become President and General Manager of the Grand Junction Rockies and was named the 2018 Pioneer League Executive of the Year. In 2019, Joe returned as General Manager of the River Bandits, a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. A native of Forreston, Illinois, Joe graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor's Degree in Art and a Master's Degree in Sport Management.

Brian Rothenberg
After spending three years in network television Brian joined the Storm at the beginning of the inaugural season as the Director, Communications and Game Operations.  A native Floridian and graduate of the University of South Florida, Brian comes to the Quad Cities by way of Bismarck, North Dakota where he worked as a live event broadcaster for the BEK Sports Network.  As a former player and avid fan of the game of hockey, Brian is thrilled to be able to promote and grow the game as a member of the Storm!


All AMp Up attendees will receive:

• FREE tickets to watch each of the teams take on opponents at home in 2020
• A $25 certificate for DJ's Steakhouse at Jumer's Casino & Hotel
• Chance to win other FAN-tastic prizes! 

We strive to host inclusive and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. For event assistance or any additional information please contact:

Marcy Hyder
Phone: 563.823.2690
Email: [email protected] 

​Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations must be received at least 72 hours in advance in order to receive a registration refund. You may transfer your registration to another person within your company at no additional cost.