The Bend Event Center Reviews

We used The Bend Event Center for our annual Wine Trade Show and the service we received was outstanding. The space was fantastic, everything we requested was taken care of, communication was excellent, and overall everything was handled with the upmost professionalism.

As a wedding planner I've seen amazing wedding venues and mediocre wedding venues, but I can honestly say that the Bend Event Center had a flawless setup and was amazing to work with. Their staff was super helpful not only on the wedding day, but during the planning process as well. I will continue to recommend them to all my future couples!

We held a celebration of life for my wife at The Bend Event Center in October. For such a difficult time in my life, they made everything so elegant and easy for us. They truly were great to work with. They asked questions of what we desired, gave us recommendations, and handled everything that they possible could to minimize our stress knowing what we were going through. The entire staff leading up to the event, and at the event were professional, compassionate, friendly and caring. We received so many compliments on the beauty of the evening and the venue, and several people commented that it was the most beautiful celebration of life they had ever attended. For such a beautiful person, it was exactly what we wanted.

I just had my wedding at the bend event center, and it was absolutely amazing! The staff was so helpful and professional. Mykenzie was great about getting back to me with all my questions quickly and just full of knowledge on how to make the day go as smooth as possible. It was so great having everything all in one location, with the hotel right there, made it easy for our guests. Best decision was having it at the bend. I would 100% recommend them.

The Bend Event Center was the most beautiful venue for our daughter's July 23, 2022 wedding. Mykenzie and Avery were amazing to work with and so helpful! The food was outstanding, from our appetizers to the late snack pizza, I heard nothing but great compliments from our guests. The food arrived promptly, hot and delicious! The bartenders and servers were very kind and attentive. The entire staff at The Bend truly made our daughter and son-in-law's wedding a special day that will never be forgotten! I would highly recommend this venue for any special occasion!

I’m not sure I have the words to express how happy we are with The Bend Event Center. We had a major emergency the night before my daughter’s wedding causing us to postpone 24 hours before our event. McKenzie and Avery went above and beyond to help us deal with all the details. They even helped us contact our other venders, so we could deal with our emergency.
McKenzie kept us informed on opened dates to allow us to reschedule. She was very quick to respond to all communications throughout the whole planning process.
Our daughter’s wedding took place in July. It was absolutely perfect. The reason we selected The Bend was the beautiful venue itself. The room is gorgeous! It almost needs no decorations. The windows let in the most perfect light.
The food was delicious, hot and the portions were big! The staff was polite and attentive to all guests.
Again, I cannot say enough good things about our experience with this venue.

When my fiancé and I were looking for our reception location, we quickly fell in love with The Bend and its staff! The space itself is gorgeous and and well-maintained and hardly needed decorating. They have a great outdoor area for cocktail hour and other amazing outdoor areas for photos (amazing lighting!). Mykenzie and Avery made our experience so easy too. They reminded me of certain dates things needed to be in by, responded quickly, and were super detail-oriented. When we did our food tasting (so yummy by the way), they wrote down all the details and recommended vendors for things I had not booked yet! They were so friendly and helped make our wedding experience an amazing one! I would honestly recommend The Bend Event Center to any bride in the QC area. The Bend Event Center went above and beyond in making our day special!

Before The Bend was even fully built, it was my dream to get married there. After meeting with Mykenzie for the first time, I felt extremely confident that The Bend was the venue for us! From booking the venue itself, to the food tasting, booking other vendors, and finalizing details…Avery and Mykenzie went above and beyond to provide me with my DREAM day. I truthfully could not have asked for a more perfect day, and that is all thanks to them. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and provides a perfect backdrop for pictures and a night of love and entertainment with your closest friends and family. The food was great, and the staff was such a pleasure to work with. We received SO many compliments on the overall service provided throughout the night and cannot recommend The Bend enough to anyone looking for a venue. It is hands down the most beautiful venue in the QC!

My husband and I had our wedding reception at The Bend Event Center in May of 2022. Mykenzie and Avery were amazing to work with - very responsive and accommodating. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous, and the room was the perfect size for our 200-guest reception. Highly recommended!

Mykenzie and Avery were the ABSOLUTE BEST! They helped me with all the major and minor details. Answered questions whenever I had them. I know how busy they are, but made me feel as if I was the only bride they were taking care of! The food was absolutely delicious! Also, they had accommodations for those who were vegan, dairy free, and also kid friendly. Everyone was taken care of, so I did not have to worry. The outdoor venue is so beautiful and I am so glad the rain slightly held out - so we could have it out there. It is so nice and convenient to have the ceremony right next to the reception hall, as well as a hotel near by for out of town guests. I could go on and on about how beautiful The Bend is, literally stunning on the inside. I could not have asked for a more perfect day! I appreciate Mykenzie and Avery for helping me have the best day EVER. I would recommend The Bend, they are a 10 out of 10!

The bend is by far the prettiest venue in the QC. Mykenzie and Avery were awesome to work with and very responsive. The food was amazing, from our appetizers to the main meal I heard nothing but great things from our guests. The bartenders and servers were also very kind. The bend truly made our wedding day special.

I knew before I got engaged that I wanted to have my wedding at The Bend because it was so beautiful. The windows, lighting, everything about the space makes it so easy to decorate because it is pretty as is. The Bend staff is amazing to work with. They make the day run so smoothly.

I could not have dreamed of a better venue than The Bend. Mykenzie and all the staff were so helpful and accommodating. Mykenzie made my entire wedding experience the best! She was so helpful and quick to respond to messages and questions. She was also so good about checking in with us and providing us with information about other great vendors. We received so many compliments about how beautiful The Bend is. It started snowing during our reception and it looked so beautiful with the huge windows! The service is top notch and I highly recommend The Bend for your wedding. Thank you again, Mykenzie and all The Bend staff. You truly made us feel so special!

I didn't know if my dream venue would ever exist in the Quad Cities. It might sound silly but I knew I never wanted to get married in a ballroom with carpet. Then I found The Bend Event Center. It is just a stunning venue. Not to mention it's a perfect location for sunset photos by the river. The food is phenomenal, and the event coordinators are even better. I was in constant contact with the coordinator during the whole planning process and she kept everything organized and easy. The day-of wedding staff were friendly as well.

Our wedding reception at this venue was absolutely perfect. Mykenzie went above and beyond for us, was very responsive, and we couldn’t have planned such a beautiful event without her! We got so many compliments about how beautiful the space looked and the amazing food. Would definitely recommend!

Mykenzie and Avery and staff are amazing! Even with a few hiccups from other vendors the staff and venue were absolutely perfect! The staff made sure I had everything I needed and helping to gather the small pieces so I wouldnt forget anything they went above and beyond! Thank you for making sure our day was everything we hoped it would be! 

Thank you! 

Where do I start… wow! The entire staff at The Bend Event Center made our day and exceeded our expectations. From start to finish Mykenzie and her staff were helpful in more ways than just providing a venue. My husband and I were also on opposite work schedules so I can’t say thank you enough to her for being so accommodating with meeting times and response times as well. She provided tons of suggestions for photographers, bakeries, event decorators, and so on. Just about every vendor we hired came from a recommendation by Mykenzie - and all of them were just as amazing as her and her staff! The venue is beautiful and colors will coordinate with any palette you choose. The food was AMAZING! Our guests could not stop raving about how amazing their dinner was. Not to mention - my husband got some sort of stomach bug the day of our wedding and they were so attentive and understanding. They were able to stall the start of dinner until he settled enough to join us. Different staff members offered to make him whatever sounded good, but despite him not having an appetite he felt so taken care of. Talk about above and beyond! The location is incredible. Our ceremony was right outside at the park next door and our guests stayed at the hotel right behind the venue. Our guests loved that it was a park and play weekend and nobody had to worry about driving (plus more time to enjoy the day/evening). Bartenders, servers, and more were kind, enthusiastic and the most genuine - they were all part of our night just like our guests and we enjoyed having each and every one of them there! I cannot say thank you enough for everything and cannot recommend The Bend ENOUGH! If you’re looking for a venue - The Bend is hands down the best choice!

We had our wedding and reception here a few weeks ago and I am still beaming. Mykenzie was everything I needed in an event director; when we toured last year she had all my questions answered before I could even ask. She was always available throughout the entire process to provide answers advice and even a calming presences when I was still in limbo with Covid. I love that the ceremony reception and hotel are all right there! Makes for easy day for all involved. Avery was there night of, as well as Brandon and they made sure we had everything we needed and then some. I have told my husband I would get married all over again just to do it at the Bend. Thanks to my amazing new friends for all you did for Dale and my special day!!!

We loved working with the Bend as a reception venue for our wedding! The food at the reception was absolutely delicious and the staff that worked the bar and waited the tables were friendly to us and all of our guests. Mykenzie helped ease any doubts or worries we had prior to our wedding date and she was constantly in touch to keep us updated or make sure we were prepared for the big day. She even made some great recommendations during a planning meeting that we had in April of this year that helped make the reception even better. Mykenzie and the entire Bend staff also showed great flexibility when we decided to postpone our original wedding date due to covid. When the wedding date finally rolled around, the Bend ended up being the most perfect reception venue that we could have ever imagined. 10/10 easy.

The Bend made our dream wedding a reality! Mykenzie was professional, organized and worked with us to make sure every detail was perfect. We received many compliments on the elegance of the venue and how everything moved seamlessly from one portion of the reception to the next. Compliments to the chef on the chicken and the garlic mashed potatoes were loved by all! We also had our rehearsal dinner at the Bend and it was amazing how they transformed the space to accommodate both groups. I would highly recommend the Bend for your special events! 5/5 stars!

Mykenzie was extremely accommodating through the whole process. The whole staff was amazing and I would highly recommend the venue. Staff was always very responsive for any questions/needs!

I loved working with Mykenzie and her staff. The servers and bartenders were so nice and just did an outstanding job. Mykenzie and her staff definitely exceeded my expectations and would HIGHLY recommend The Bend Event Center to anyone!

From the beginning of wedding planing until the end, The Bend Event Center was excellent! I looked at a few venues before choosing The Bend and I chose them because of their friendliness, and when you look in the venue you fall in love with this elegant place. Mykenzie was so helpful, made the process so easy, and that means a lot when you’re stressed with everything going on. She was there for every question I ever had and also gave very helpful suggestions. Brandon helped so much as well and I appreciate all the staff, they worked so well together. The hotel being next door was very convenient and a great place to stay. I highly recommend The Bend Event Center for a wedding or any event you may have.

Thanks to The Bend for being a perfect venue for our wedding ceremony and reception. We booked our wedding to be at The Bend when it was just dirt but we knew the potential of it’s beauty. Although we had to postpone our April 2020 wedding to April 2021, Mykenzie and her team were amazing to work with and made it a stress free process. Mykenzie was so great to work with and made it feel like our wedding was the only one she was planning, although I know how busy she is!

The venue itself is gorgeous and didn’t need a lot of decorating which helped make planning even easier. We are truly thankful for The Bend and Mykenzie for all they did for us to make it the perfect day. Without a doubt we recommend for a wedding venue or any other event!

The bend event center did an amazing job with handling our reception! I received so many compliments regarding the staff members, quality of food, and the beautiful views of the space! Not only that, Mykenzie was amazing to work with in regards to recommendations, services, and advice! I would 100% recommend the bend for your wedding!

Due to Covid we had to move our May 2020 date. My spouse and I have nothing but fantastic things to say bout not only the event space itself (it is GORGEOUS, and what we always dreamed of for our wedding) but about dealing with Mykenzie as well. Every interaction we had with Mykenzie was fantastic, and she was beyond helpful. She never failed to make sure our questions were answered, and she made dealing with the pandemic and our wedding plans was as stress free as possible. 10/10 would recommend The Bend event center to anyone looking for a wedding venue!

Due to COVID and other circumstances I had to make two date changes with short notice and Mykenzie was very understanding and extremely helpful in making it work!! Mykenzie and the entire staff made planning and execution so much less stressful than expected (especially given short notice). Not to mention the space is beautiful! I would HIGHLY recommend!

The event space itself is absolutely stunning - the room is so gorgeous with modern and convenient features. I like that it is pretty enough on it's own that not much decoration was needed.

The food is fantastic (seriously we could hardly choose between meals at our tasting because all of them were so great).

One of the biggest perks of using The Bend Event Center is the team that comes with the space. Mykenzie, the Event Coordinator has been beyond wonderful to work with. She is so knowledgeable and was very helpful in choosing both big details, such as other local vendors, and little details, such as napkin color and room spacing. Mykenzie is attentive to detail and easy to communicate with. She makes wedding planning a breeze and goes above and beyond to make every bride feel special.

I'd highly recommend this space.

Our wedding at The Bend was absolutely wonderful! Mykenzie is AMAZING to work with and made the planning a lot less stressful! We had to cancel our original wedding due to Covid-19 and had to plan a completely different wedding out of state and Mykenzie took so much stress out of our planning. She was extremely helpful and understanding when it came to making changes and was always easy to get ahold of. Since we had to plan a new wedding on short notice, she gave us a lot of recommendations on venders! She helped us find a DJ and a bakery for our cupcakes. She also got us into the hotel that is across the street! I can't thank her enough for all of her help and would definitely recommend The Bend and Mykenzie to anyone who is planning a wedding or other event.

This is a beautiful facility and we were looking forward to hosting our daughter's reception there this October, unfortunately everyone knows what 2020 is dealing us. Mykenzie has been a total delight to work with, attentive to detail, responsive with our concerns and questions and sympathetic when the plans needed to be altered. From our experience thus far, we were impressed!

The Bend Event Center was a great selection for our annual nonprofit fundraiser. The event coordinator, Mykenzie, is very responsive and helpful and the staff the day of was so attentive, they made my job easy! We look forward to having our event there next year.

Our workplace Holiday party was absolutely perfect at the Bend Event Center. The service was wonderful, and the food was amazing. A beautiful venue matched with dedicated staff, we look forward to coming back, and recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Our daughter and son in law wanted a wedding venue that would accommodate all of their guests in a quaint and classy venue while giving the luxury of staying at the Bend properties hotel the Hyatt House and Hyatt Place! Their guests felt pampered and treated by the hotel, the bar and the reception hall in their time sharing this beautiful wedding day! The food was delicious, the wait staff and professional servers and event coordinator Mykenzie were everything we could’ve asked for! The pictures turned out stunning both outside for the “first looks” and “sunset time for two” with the bride and groom as well as the shots inside and among the beautiful room, hallways and lighting on the dance floor! Thank you for working with our bride Annie and our new son Ian to make their day one we will all remember!! 💕💍

We had our wedding here in October and I cannot even put it into words how perfect our day was. Mykenzie & the staff had everything spot on, and the food was to die for!!! I can’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else- I am so thankful we chose The Bend Event Center!!

5 stars aren’t enough for The Bend! When I came across their website last year, I knew it was everything we wanted in a venue before it was even built. Seeing it come to life, it was more than we ever expected! The views are beautiful, the windows and lighting give it the perfect ambiance for a wedding. Our original plan was to have our ceremony out on Murphy park and reception inside. The weather however had other plans and we decided to move it inside. Honestly, it was PERFECT inside! The food was amazing, the drink menu was perfect, the staff was so kind and helpful. Mykenzie was my life saver and right hand woman from day 1 of meeting with her. She went above and beyond for us over the past year of planning. We cannot recommend The Bend enough! Thanks again!

My husband and I had our reception at The Bend Event Center over the summer, and we couldn't have been more happy with how everything turned out! The whole experience was great (and nearly stress-free!) thanks to the wonderful event coordinator, Mykenzie! The location and the event center are beautiful, and the food was pretty amazing, and the staff was so helpful! We would recommend The Bend for any of your future events.

We used the Event Center at The Bend for our daughter's wedding on August 3rd. We signed our contract with the venue before they even broke ground. We were taking a leap of faith but were assured that it would be ready in time for our event. Everything turned out perfect. The room was beautiful. Mykenzie and her team worked with us from start to finish to make sure everything was just the way we wanted. We served a plated dinner and the food was fantastic. The late night French Fry Bar was a tremendous hit also. I would not hesitate to use them again!

Mykenzie, Avery, and the rest of the Bend team were incredibly easy to work with, professional, and made sure our night went off without a hitch. They were super responsive leading up the our wedding, and made sure we had everything set in advance so that the event went smoothly. Also, the event center is absolutely gorgeous and the food was amazing!

We used the Bend Event Center for our wedding reception a few weeks ago and it was absolutely perfect! It is the most naturally gorgeous venue and so decorating was easy! Mykenzie was incredibly helpful and nice throughout the entire process. She responds quickly and basically felt like a wedding planner! She made me think of things I wouldn't and had great recommendations. The only thing I recommend is reading through your contract carefully so you do know what your money is all going towards, as there was a little mishap for me there! This place was amazing and I recommend it for anyone! 🙂

The Bend Event Center is beautiful and Mykenzie Roberts is the best! She went above and beyond her duties to help us in any way that we needed. She responded immediately and paid close attention to detail. Would highly recommend working with her and The Bend Event Center!

We booked our daughters wedding at The Bend last November. The venue is stunning. Modern, open, and looks gorgeous at night with reception lighting. We took advantage of the floor to ceiling windows as a home for many candles. Lots of compliments from the guests!
Staff was great to work with all around. An excellent and energetic team from event coordinator to food staff and bartenders, real pros. We were happy with the food as well.

My husband and I got married 6/15/2019 at our church and had our reception at the bend event center. We were the first event. With the weather and some construction delays it was really cut down to the wire as to if the venue would be finished in time. Mykenzie the event coordinator is amazing! She was very supportive and kept me in the loop with everything that was going on she even asked my opinion in parts of the venue. Mykenzie and the staff went above and beyond to make our day perfect. The inside of the center is immaculate and very in tune with our formal reception. Once the rest of the construction and landscaping is done I am positive the outside will be simply stunning. The catering and wait staff were phenomenal we chose to do a taco bar and plated kids option and all of our guest were very pleased.

Mykenzie was a pleasure to work with. She was quick to respond to all my questions. Bartenders were excellent and efficient. Definitely would use again.

My husband and I chose to host our wedding ceremony and reception at The Bend and were very happy with every step of the process. Planning was very easy, thanks to Mykenzie Roberts, as she came ready with recommendations and expertise. Our wedding was pretty large (320 attendees) but the space was more than accommodating. We loved the fresh and open atmosphere of the event center. Our ceremony was held outside in the park right next to the center. One thing to be aware of - you’re right next to the river and it can get windy! For guests staying in the hotel that evening, it was a short walk back to their rooms. However, we had a couple family members shuttling grandparents. This event center is beautiful but there is a premium you’ll pay. What we decided to splurge on may not be others preference! Overall, we’d recommend this place to others!

Mykenzie was wonderful to work with. She made the whole planning process much easier! The venue is gorgeous and I recieved many compliments on this. I also had many compliments on how good the food was (I had the bone in chicken, prime rib and salmon). I also was told the appetizers were delicious as well. Overall my experience here was wonderful.

I am normally not a review writer but I could not write an honest review after my experience.

I got married at the bend on 6/22/24. The venue was absolutely beautiful and the food was wonderful. While we had a great time, I was very disappointed by their coordinator, Angela. It would take up to a week sometimes to get a response, and I would often have to follow up with her before I would get a response. To my understanding she was not only running the Bend Event Center, she is also running The Rust Belt. I understand people are busy and I am not your only bride/customer, but time is so important when planning a wedding because so many other vendors depend on knowing some of this information as well.
First, it was going to be 90°+ on our wedding day, so a week before we moved it inside. Angela forgot that we moved it inside and called my wedding planner the day of our wedding rehearsal and said she forgot we moved it inside and she didn’t have staff after 5:30pm. She said she had another appointment she had to be at so we ultimately had to rush through my rehearsal.
Then comes wedding day. I rented out the Combine Room as well as paid the drink minimum which was $1,500 for my guests to have an open bar during this time. My guests were being charged! Luckily someone told me and I had my wedding planner fix the situation.
I had requested two vegetarian plates. I will admit I ordered them only about a week before because it totally slipped my mind, but she told me it was do-able. The day of my wedding, there was no portabella mushrooms. She did have the kitchen staff make two right away, but what made me the most frustrated is when she told me “there was no email”… when she RESPONDED TO IT. After years of working in customer service, I would never speak to a customer like that. “I’m sorry, there must have been a mistake- I will have two made right away” is what anyone in customer service should have said. Accusing me of lying when she made a mistake was truly just the icing on the cake.
We were also told we needed to order Sauvignon Blanc if we wanted it, which it is my mom’s favorite wine so I happily ordered 6 bottles of Joel Gott. My mom ordered one glass which finished the bottle they currently had. When she asked about more, he went into the other bar and brought in more Sauvignon Blanc (a different brand). Why did I have to pay extra for this wine if they are able to bring it in from the other room?
Overall, I am extremely disappointed. When we booked with Mykenzie, everything was in place and then we had to start from square one with Angela and truthfully, she was incredibly rude and condescending the entire time. I spent roughly $20k for the venue and food/drinks alone... you would think you would get better service. She doesn’t care about the bride, she cares about the business.

While The Bend is a beautiful venue, if I would have known how disrespectful and rude the coordinator was going to be I would have booked else ware. If you can put her aside, I would recommend this venue because it is beautiful and the food was delicious.