Introducing WeeZee World of “Yes, I Can!” Westchester’s First Indoor Playspace
SUMMARY
Westchester’s first indoor sensory play space and the largest facility of its kind in the country, WeeZee… World of Yes I Can had its Grand Opening last April, 2012. The indoor play space, which included an innovative concept and design, as well as state-of-the-art equipment, spans almost 16,000 square feet with an additional 8,500 square feet set aside for health care and other professionals at the new Chappaqua Crossing business development located at 480 Bedford Road in Chappaqua, NY. WeeZee offers a host of highly engaging, interactive and imaginative sensory experiences in a safe, supervised environment with special programs available for children with autism. The 35 different elements of training equipment — designed to strengthen nervous system conduction in a way that improves academic performance, athletic coordination and social connections in children of all ages — includes a Rainforest & Storm Zone (tactile water/wind experience), Reaction Training & Sports Enhancement Stalls (hand-eye coordination), a Vibration Station (core stabilization), a Cyber-action Floor (anticipation in movement), a Fiber Optic Light Room (visual optimization), and a state of the art Music Room (fully-equipped sound studio with karaoke room). It is truly a fantasy world!
OBJECTIVES
- To introduce WeeZee to families that include a child with sensory disorders, as well as families with “neutrotypical” children throughout Westchester County and the entire Hudson Valley region
- To promote WeeZee as an indoor play center/kids gym that features extraordinary and unique play opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else
- To emphasize WeeZee’s child drop-off features in order to increase its appeal to parents who desire child care support
- To generate interest in monthly memberships, passes, programs and activities at WeeZee
STRATEGIES
- To create a major blockbuster Grand Opening event with News 12’s Shannon White as Emcee and attended by politicians, celebrities, other notable guests, media, etc.
- To create a nationally-recognized day associated with WeeZee’s Grand Opening – “National Sensory Awareness Day” — in order to generate County, state and national proclamations
- To establish relationships with key influencers on behalf of WeeZee – pediatricians, doctors, autism experts, etc.
- To develop an ongoing media relations campaign that builds on the momentum and excitement generated by the Grand Opening event and that develops coverage of WeeZee and all of its programs and activities
TACTICS
- Intensive publicity focusing on letters and proclamations received from: President Bill Clinton, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Susie Oppenheimer, Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino, as well as many Legistators, Assemblymen and New Castle Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter.
- Meetings with key Westchester County pediatricians, such as Dr. Peter Richel and medical directors, such as Dr. Scott Hayworth (director of the Mt. Kisco Medical Group), which led to materials and information placed and available in doctor’s offices and medical centers.
- Various press releases were developed focusing on WeeZee’s range of programs and activities.
- Targeted feature stories were written about WeeZee and its founder Louise Weadock, a child psychiatric nurse who has been researching sensory disorders for 30 years
- Feature stories and guest columns, included those focusing on:
- Play and Learning Through the Five Senses
- Keeping Kids Fit and Healthy during Winter Months
- Sensory Learning – Key to Child Learning and Development
- The Impact of After School Programs
- Intensive efforts to generate media coverage of activities and events at WeeZee are constant and ongoing
- DDRPR provides photography services for special events and then, captions these photos to send to target media
RESULTS
An intensive media relations campaign resulted in the placement of these features and bylined columns in The New York Times, on WABC-TV and in target Westchester-based media including Westchester Magazine (Louise Weadock was profiled as one of five health leaders in Westchester County in the November issue of Westchester Magazine), Westchester Business Journal, The Journal News, News 12, etc.
