CW, Biggest Fan Consulting partner to enhance student engagement
New agreement is focussed on developing student sections
EDMONTON – Canada West and Biggest Fan Consulting (BFC) announced a new partnership Monday aimed at bringing the excitement of student sections to Western Canada.
The conference has inked an MOU with BFC, which will allow CW members the opportunity to access BFC's expertise in establishing student sections at a reduced price.
Currently four CW schools – Trinity Western, UBC, UNBC, and Saskatchewan – are working with BFC to enhance their in-venue atmosphere and increase student engagement through student sections.
As part of the partnership, Canada West will be showcasing member student sections throughout the 2019-20 season on social media and Canada West TV Presented by Co-op.
"Canada West is excited to provide our 17 members the opportunity to engage their student bodies and increase their investment in campus life. Student engagement is vital to the university experience, and there is no better way to build engagement and excitement than through sport," said CW VP of Marketing and Communications Adrienne Healey. "The atmosphere students can bring to any sporting venue is contagious and we hope it catches on at all CW schools."
After helping to develop the Grand Canyon University Havocs – the student section for the GCU Antelopes – and serving as President of the National Collegiate Student Section Association, Brandon Kaiser founded Biggest Fan Consulting to help schools become aware of the latent potential within college students and develop student sections.
These sections are a hallmark of US college sports, and now Kaiser is bringing his expertise north of the border. He shared his learnings with conference membership earlier this year at the CW AGM, which was hosted by Trinity Western in Whistler, B.C. back in May.
“It’s a privilege to help Canada West institutions develop robust student sections and transform their student culture surrounding athletic events. I learned a lot about Canada West while at the conference AGM, and it opened my eyes to the massive potential for the student fan experience at games," said Kaiser.
"This partnership shows CW prioritizes student engagement at athletic events and understands the value it brings to not only an institution, but the conference as a whole. I’m really excited to see what these schools do.”
Kaiser's first client in Canada West was TWU, which has been working with BFC since 2018.
“My experience with Brandon and Biggest Fan Consulting has seen great dividends for our university, our students, our athletes and our community. By focusing on a student engagement from a fan’s perspective, and having the experience and insight from Brandon who has mastered the process himself, BFC brings actionable and tailored perspectives to the challenge of building engaged fan communities," said Scott Fehrenbacher, Senior VP External Relations for Trinity Western.
"For TWU, our university and our local community has already seen great benefits, and we are looking forward to investing in this process for the long term.”
To learn more about BFC, please click here.