The MARK of the Quad Cities
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The MARK of the Quad Cities is a 9,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Moline, Illinois. It is currently home to the Quad City Mallards ice hockey team and the Quad City Steamwheelers af2 arena football team. The facility opened in May 1993 and has garnered numerous industry awards since that time. Both legendary and popular musical acts have performed at The Mark, including Elton John, Cher, Keith Urban, NSYNC, Shania Twain, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Metallica, Green Day, Blue Man Group, Neil Diamond, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, The Black Eyed Peas, Eminem , Britney Spears, Martina McBride, Aerosmith, Michael Buble, Avril Lavigne, Tina Turner, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, Chicago, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Mannheim Steamroller, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Rascal Flatts, and Kenny Chesney. The arena has hosted NCAA Division 1 college basketball games (including the Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament from 1996-99) in addition to several NHL and NBA exhibition contests. The now-defunct Quad City Thunder basketball team played all their home games at The Mark from 1993 until the Continental Basketball Association folded six years later.
The arena seats up to 11,600 for end-stage concerts and 12,000 for center-stage concerts. It takes only six hours to convert the Mark into a theater (called The Theater at the Mark); seating capacity is 3,000 for theater shows, including Broadway shows, concerts and family shows, 6,000 for amphitheater concerts. It also makes for a cozy wrestling venue and did host the 1997 WCW Great American Bash pay-per-view.
The arena contains 31,000 square feet of arena floor space, allowing the arena to be used for trade shows and conventions; adjacent is 20,000 square feet of meeting room space and an 11,000 square-foot lobby.
In August 2005, i wireless (a T-Mobile affiliate) announced a 10-year agreement with The Mark and the Illinois Quad City Civic Center Authority to secure naming rights of the arena. Many loyal Mark patrons were devastated by the news, but no name change has yet taken place as of September 2006.
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| Current arenas in the United Hockey League | ||||
| U.S. Cellular Coliseum | Sears Centre | First Arena | Perani Arena and Event Center | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Wings Stadium | L.C. Walker Arena | McMorran Arena | The MARK of the Quad Cities | MetroCentre | ||||
| Current arenas in the af2 |
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| American Conference | National Conference | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Chevrolet Centre | Everett Events Center | Freedom Hall | The MARK of the Quad Cities | Pepsi Arena | Qwest Arena | Rabobank Arena | Resch Center | Selland Arena | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena | Stockton Arena | Toyota Center | U.S. Bank Arena | Wachovia Arena | Verizon Wireless Arena | Alltel Arena | Amarillo Civic Center | American Bank Center | Berry Center | Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center | CenturyTel Center | Dodge Arena | Ford Center | Germain Arena | Gray Civic Center | Laredo Entertainment Center | Lubbock Municipal Coliseum | Tulsa Convention Center | Von Braun Center | ||
Categories: Concert halls | College basketball venues | Convention centers in the United States | Indoor arenas in the United States | Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States | Sports in the Quad Cities | Sports venues in Illinois | Professional wrestling venues | Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament venues
