BANDITS ADD SPORT BUSINESS LEADER GRAHAM WALL TO EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Bandits Staff • Nov 01, 2022

Wall brings over a decade of success with the Vancouver Canadians and experience from the Canucks and Grizzlies to BC's pro basketball team.

LANGLEY, B.C. – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that former Vancouver Canadians executive Graham Wall will join its leadership team and serve as its vice president of sales and service ahead of its 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC).


A prominent figure in BC’s professional sports business ecosystem, Wall previously spent 14 years as vice president of sales and marketing for the Canadians, a minor league affiliate of the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays. Wall was a key cog in the Vancouver Canadians’ rise as one of Canada’s preeminent sports and entertainment experiences and a popular summertime fixture for families in the Lower Mainland. 


Now, the East Vancouver resident joins the fastest growing pro sports brand in BC to accelerate and support the Bandits’ preparations for the biggest season in club history.


A lifelong fan of the game, Wall is an avid supporter of local basketball. A former Magee Lion, he grew up immersed in Metro Vancouver’s hoops scene and was selected to play on Basketball BC’s under-19 team representing the province at nationals before later playing post-secondary basketball at Mount Royal University.


“I am ecstatic to join the Vancouver Bandits front office to help welcome fans of all ages to take in an extremely high level of basketball. A key focus of my tenure with various professional teams has been creating an inclusive game day atmosphere, presenting stories of our tremendous, homegrown athletes through thoughtful marketing and a quality game day entertainment experience that families can enjoy,” Wall said.


“I believe in the power of sport and have experienced firsthand how it inspires youth and unites communities. That is what Bandits basketball is all about and I am grateful to our co-owners and president for the chance to showcase an amazing game day at our beautiful venue of LEC.”


The upcoming 2023 season at LEC will be the Vancouver Bandits’ fifth CEBL campaign, which tips-off in late May and runs until early August. The Bandits’ regular season schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.


Adding to the hype of the highly anticipated season is Championship Weekend, a multi-day playoff event and festival, that will be hosted at LEC in August 2023.


As hosts of the postseason event, the Bandits will receive an automatic berth in the semifinals. Tickets to Championship Weekend are included in the price of Bandits season tickets. Deposits on season tickets can be made now by clicking here. Inquiries can be directed to tickets@thebandits.ca 


While with the Canadians, Wall led business operations and was responsible for planning all revenue generating activities; such as the team’s corporate sponsorship programs, marketing and advertising platforms and game day presentation initiatives at Nat Bailey Stadium.


During his tenure between 2006-20, Wall increased the Canadians’ advertising revenue tenfold. Success on and off the diamond led to an increase in sponsorship revenue as the club surpassed its all-time attendance records, enjoyed frequent sellouts and won four Northwest League Championships (2011-13, 2017).


Through his dedication to customer satisfaction, Wall and the Canadians sales team built a loyal fan base through various successful ticketed experiences and sponsored seating areas. Beyond the venue, he helped elevate the Canadians’ brand by co-negotiating and solidifying the ballpark’s naming rights position of then ‘Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium’ and also secured national and local media partnerships, including agreements with Rogers Sportsnet television and Sportsnet 650 radio. 


“I am thrilled to welcome a professional sports and entertainment leader of Graham’s calibre to our front office. He brings a proven track record honed with the Canucks and Canadians where he produced sales driven results on some of the biggest stages in Canadian sports,” said Bandits co-owner Kevin Dhaliwal. “One of Graham’s most exciting qualities is the organizational culture and mindset that he has fostered throughout his career – one that is predicated on customer service, an elite fan experience and an enriching front office environment where business leaders can grow and make an impact.” 


Some of Wall’s proudest accomplishments are helping grow the Canadians’ community footprint through co-launching its at risk boys and girls youth foundation, a ‘Strike Out Heart Disease’ initiative alongside St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and ‘Nooners at the Nat,’ a grassroots program designed to support charities in the community.


Resulting from excellence on and off the diamond, the Canadians were recognized as leaders in Minor League Baseball (MiLB), becoming the first non-American club to win the John H. Johnson President’s Award and several John Henry Moss Community Service Awards.


Prior to baseball, Wall sold and managed the Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies ticketing assets from 1997 to 2004.


“Graham has an impressive resume in the world of pro sports and we are incredibly happy to have him join the Bandits organization. Through his experience with the Canucks and Canadians, he has built an amazing network among sports fans and the business community in B.C. Graham knows and loves basketball. It is a sport he is passionate about and he is ecstatic that Vancouver has professional basketball again,” said Bandits co-owner Bryan Slusarchuk.


More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

LATEST NEWS

Vancouver Bandits and Preston Chevrolet Renew Partnership for the 2024 CEBL Season

By Bandits Staff • 03 May, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that one of the province’s largest General Motors dealerships, Preston Chevrolet, has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Vancouver Bandits and Preston Chevrolet have been partners since the Vancouver Bandits made their debut at the Langley Events Centre in 2022. The focus of Preston Chevrolet’s partnership with BC’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at the home venue, the Langley Events Centre (LEC), while supporting their additional community outreach programs. This support includes initiatives such as; the Community Champion program, Vancouver Bandits’ school visits, and community event attendance throughout the province powered by the Vancouver Bandits’ Community Cruiser proudly supplied by Preston Chevrolet. Since 2022, Preston Chevrolet has supported the Community Champion program where community teams from across the region have experienced Vancouver Bandits basketball in the Preston Players’ Lounge at Langley Events Centre. The community Champion program allowed hundreds of at-risk youths to get the opportunity to attend Vancouver Bandits games; an opportunity that many would not receive otherwise. With the support of Preston Chevrolet, from November 2023 to February 2024; the Vancouver Bandits head coach & general manager Kyle Julius visited 81 middle school and high schools across the province. The purpose of these visits was to support middle school and high school basketball programs with complimentary coaching and player development. “Our community partnership with the Bandits has been outstanding from the start. Both our organizations believe in the value and accessibility of sports, particularly team sports for youth and families in our communities” said Peter Heppner of Preston Chevrolet. Preston Chevrolet has been a family-owned and operated business in Langley since 1965. Purchased from the Preston family in 2006 Peter and son (Leigh Heppner) continue the long-standing commitment to supporting the communities they serve. “The moment we committed to Langley Events Centre in 2022 we were made aware of Peter Heppner and Preston Chevrolet’s commitment to giving back to the community. It was more than just marketing for Peter and Preston Chevrolet, it was about finding ways for Vancouver Bandits basketball to execute programming that provided youth in our community with accessible opportunities. Peter Heppner, Leigh Heppner, and the entire team at Preston Chevrolet have embraced Vancouver Bandits basketball with open arms, enabling us to strengthen our community and bring us together through basketball. We are excited to continue our partnership for a third consecutive season.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. 

Vancouver Bandits Sign Former Santa Clara Bronco Josip Vrankic

By Bandits Staff • 02 May, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-9 forward and former Santa Clara University Bronco Josip Vrankic for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). A native of Toronto, Ont., Josip is currently playing for Gipuzkoa in the LEB Oro, the second highest division of professional basketball in Spain, which as a nation boasts the second best national team FIBA ranking in the world behind the United States. The 2023-24 campaign in progress is Vrankic’s second professional season after playing five decorated seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Santa Clara between 2017-22, the alma mater of Victoria, B.C. product and NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash. Vrankic will report to Vancouver upon the conclusion of his current season in Spain. "I am excited to join the Bandits family and to be part of a group that is focused on winning and growing together. I have heard great things about the fanbase in Vancouver and I am looking forward to a special season," Vrankic said. Vancouver’s highly anticipated home opener is on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. PT against the Montréal Alliance. Single game tickets for the home opener and all regular season games are on sale now at this link . Vrankic is enjoying another solid season early in his professional career; posting averages of 22.4 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 34.4 per cent shooting from three-point range over the course of 32 games played with Gipuzkoa. Last year he made his pro debut with Chieti, where he placed first on the club in rebounds (8.0) and second in points per game (14.9) in 17 games played before signing with Ravenna to finish the 2022-23 season. Prior to turning pro, Vrankic appeared in 137 games for the Broncos, starting 131 – a program record. His 1,817 career points place him third in school history while his 801 rebounds place him eighth. Vrankic punctuated his illustrious Division I career by earning four consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) selections; including back-to-back first team recognition in 2021 and 2022. “Josip is a very high IQ basketball player with great versatility. He can really shoot and play inside. We think he is a great fit for our group and we really look forward to him becoming part of our family,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .

Vancouver Bandits and FortisBC Renew Partnership for the 2024 CEBL Season

By Bandits Staff • 30 Apr, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the province’s largest energy provider, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) , has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The focus of FortisBC’s partnership with British Columbia’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at Vancouver’s home venue of the Langley Events Centre (LEC) and to support basketball communities throughout British Columbia through the Indigenous Basketball Collective program’s youth clinics, officiating clinics and coaching clinics. Through Indigenous Basketball Collective, FortisBC and Vancouver Bandits previously built outdoor basketball courts that now serve as new recreational hubs for local youth in four Indigenous communities across the province and have hosted youth basketball clinics for Indigenous youth. “Our support for the Vancouver Bandits is an example of FortisBC’s commitment to the communities where we live and work,” said Doug Slater, vice-president of Indigenous relations and regulatory affairs at FortisBC. “We have made great strides with the Bandits in building safe basketball facilities for Indigenous youth across the province and look forward to our continued work together.” FortisBC believes strongly in being an active partner with communities and supports many community-based initiatives and organizations throughout British Columbia each year. Since 2022, the goal of the Indigenous Basketball Collective has been to create increased opportunities for Indigenous players, coaches and others involved in basketball to participate in training camps, competitions, workshops and more. “According to I∙SPARC, basketball is the most popular sport amongst Indigenous youth in this province and through the Indigenous Basketball Collective we can support the basketball ecosystem in British Columbia. FortisBC has been a pillar partner for the Collective since 2022 and their support of the Collective has seen hundreds of youth attend camps and dozens of new coaches and officials added into the basketball ecosystem. Their support of basketball goes beyond supporting the professional basketball club in this province and we are grateful for their support.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .

World-renowned Recording Artist Sharry Mann to Perform at Vancouver Bandits June 1st South Asian Heritage Game

By Bandits Staff • 30 Apr, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that internationally celebrated vocalist and actor Sharry Mann will perform at Langley Events Centre (LEC) on Saturday, June 1 when the Bandits host the visiting Calgary Surge for the club’s first-ever South Asian Heritage Game. Exclusive to ticketholders for the Bandits’ game day, Mann will delight Bandits fans in attendance with two performances on June 1st; including a pre-game concert in the arena bowl and a half-time show during the intermission between the second and third quarters of gameplay. Fans in attendance are kindly encouraged to arrive prior to 7 p.m. PT to ensure that they have time to find parking (free on-site at LEC) and locate their seats before Mann’s performance, which will be shortly after the top of the hour before the Bandits and Surge tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Mann’s highly anticipated concert; which is included in the cost of a Bandits game ticket, are on sale now at this link . Admission to the concert and game are combined and start at $27.50 per ticket. All ticket prices are inclusive of taxes and fees. A world-renowned artist famous for his appearances and chart-topping hits in Punjabi music and film, Mann has amassed hundreds of millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify ; including tracks such as ‘3 Peg’ (800+ million plays on YouTube, 50+ million Spotify streams) and Hostel (250+ million plays on YouTube, 13+ million Spotify streams). Mann’s success has paved the way for the talented artist to be recognized globally. Recent recognition includes winning best music video at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards for ‘Yaar Chadeya’ in 2019, as well as having various tracks appear in the Top 40 of the Britain’s Official Charts . The June 1st Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) match-up between Vancouver and Calgary will be the first time that the Western Conference foes have met since Calgary inched past Vancouver in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Adding to the game’s excitement is the debut of the Bandits’ South Asian Heritage jersey, designed by Sandeep Johal to be worn by Vancouver at the game to honour and celebrate the culture and artistry of South Asia. “I am thrilled to welcome Sharry Mann and his management to Langley Events Centre for what will surely be one of the most exciting games of the 2024 CEBL season. Fans in attendance will be treated to two awesome musical performances courtesy of Sharry as well as a must-watch rematch against our rivals from Calgary,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .

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By Bandits Staff • 24 Jan, 2024
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By Bandits Staff • 23 Dec, 2023
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By Bandits Staff • 03 Dec, 2023
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Provincial Education Webinar: Coaches & Officials Interactions - Question 2

By Bandits Staff • 03 Dec, 2023
A provincial education seminar co-hosted by Basketball BC and Vancouver Bandits professional basketball club. Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius, Trinity Western Spartans women’s basketball head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul and U SPORTS/CEBL official Trevor West provide their insights on the question, “How does your familiarity with an official affect how you interact with officials during the game?” Click here to watch question 3 .
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