CASE STUDY: Chess at Three Singapore Launch with Blippi

I directed a two-day Blippi show that launched Chess at Three's first club outside the US, and served as campaign lead for the launch.

THE GOAL

Chess at Three was opening its first club outside the US, in a market where families didn't know the brand yet. The launch needed to bring families into the new club and give kids a taste of story-based chess they'd want to come back for.

Partnering with Blippi, a character Singapore families already loved, gave a brand-new club instant recognition. The challenge was turning a celebrity appearance into a show that felt true to how Chess at Three teaches: through stories, characters, and play.

MY WORK

I directed and stage-managed the event and led the creative around it, working alongside the production manager from Singapore.

WHAT I DID

The work ran in three stages, from building buzz to turning the crowd into club families.

Before the event: Build the buzz

Designed the "Coming to Singapore" marketing campaign materials announcing Blippi and Chess at Three characters' show dates and club launch details
Designed the splash page where families could learn about the show and the new club
Club opening: collaborated on the club's design plans, sourced and ordered materials, and traveled to Singapore to support the opening

After the show: Bring families into the club

Hosted an invite-only Blippi meet and greet for families, with a photo of each child with Blippi and a Chess at Three gift box (chess board, t-shirt and more)
Brought families into the club for short demos with our teachers, introducing the story, character and play elements of a real class
Organized the room setup, the kids' activities and materials (like coloring pages), and coordinated the teachers
Gathered contact details from interested families and helped them sign up for camps and trial classes after the event

Event days: Make it run

Co-wrote the show with a playful, educational story at its center
Built the run of show and managed the full schedule
Ran rehearsals and tech rehearsals so actors and crew were ready for packed audiences

THE RESULTS

Camps filled right after the launch, and the new club became self-sustaining in less than a year.

Camps filled immediately after the launch
Self-sustaining in less than a year
Multiple clubs in Singapore today, growing from that first location
International proof of concept: Singapore proved that the club model I originally started, designed and programmed in New York City could work internationally