Gummy bears and creative minds make Overlake Hospital South Tower grand opening a success

Anticipating difficulty getting the public to visit the new facility, Overlake asked JayRay to develop and coordinate their grand opening week activities. We stitched together creative ideas that played out as school tours, an employee party, and the public grand opening.

Media Kit made this a hot ticket
With the Seahawks in town playing one of their biggest games of the season and Disney unveiling its latest blockbuster, JayRay was challenged to make the media pay attention to get some solid coverage for the hospital. One of JayRay’s biggest successes was developing a media kit that was “one of the best ever!” according to a Seattle Times reporter who covered the event. The can’t-miss media kit also opened the door to articles written in the Bellevue, Issaquah, and Kent newspapers.

Visuals in every hallway
To incorporate an educational angle—and ensure great photo opportunities—JayRay recruited 25 groups from five local elementary schools to tour the hospital. We developed activity stations that included hands-on lessons in “Snickeroscopy” and laparoscopic surgery, removing gummy bears from a mock patient’s stomach.

The trio of events required JayRay and Overlake to coordinate security, hospital staff and the community, while meeting hospital leaders’ expectations. The results tell the story: more than 3,000 people attended the public opening and 1,500 hospital employees, physicians and their families came to their preview event.

Publicity, Promotions and Special Events; Community Relations