Thirteen Davenport University marketing students traded the classroom for courtside insight last week, participating in an immersive, behind-the-scenes experience with the Grand Rapids Rise at Van Andel Arena.

Members of Davenport’s American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter joined fellow collegiate AMA students from area universities for an exclusive evening focused on sports marketing, sales strategy and brand development.

The visit began with a guided tour of Van Andel Arena, where students were introduced to the inner workings of event operations, from logistics and fan engagement to large-scale brand execution. The experience then transitioned into a professional panel featuring industry leaders from the Grand Rapids Rise and Griffins organizations.

Featured speakers included:

• Matt Batchelder, vice president of Ticket Sales and Digital Marketing (and Davenport alumnus)
• Bre’onna Raymo, director of Group Sales
• Zoey Barman, marketing coordinator and social media lead for the Rise
• Grace Spoelman, social media and marketing intern

Speakers shared candid insights into their career paths and offered practical advice on navigating the evolving marketing landscape. Topics ranged from digital strategy and social media trends to the growing role of artificial intelligence in marketing, as well as internships, career pathways, and day-to-day responsibilities in the industry.

Students also had the opportunity for one-on-one conversations with the professionals, allowing for deeper networking and personalized career guidance.

“The experience provided a behind the scenes look at the Van Andel,” said Davenport student Sydney Babbitt. “We learned the different roles of the team, as well as having questions answered during a panel with the Rise marketing team. Overall it was a great experience, especially being able to attend a game after the tour.”

The evening concluded with a live matchup between the Grand Rapids Rise and the Indy Ignite, giving students a front-row seat to observe event marketing in action. From in-game promotions to fan engagement tactics, the match served as a real-time case study of the strategies discussed earlier in the day.

Davenport students in attendance included Lydia Cudini, Courtney Drew, Mckenna Severt, Sydney Babbitt, Alyssa Pressel, Trista Stedman, Daniel Blaine, Abbie Dean, Sophia DeWeerd, Victoria Hewins, Jaida Vargas, Aubrey Taylor, and Julia Tamasy.

The experience highlighted Davenport University’s commitment to hands-on learning and industry connection. Davenport’s program bridged academic concepts with real-world application in one of West Michigan’s premier sports venues.