In my mind, The Nerd Machine can do no wrong. I look forward to Comic Con every year, but lately, the anticipation level for NerdHQ has been growing like mad.
I've been lucky enough to snag some tickets to several Conversations for a Cause panels, which have always been top-notch entertainment. The Conversation guests donate their time to attend, and they acknowledge that there are people out there who have paid money - sometimes on top of their Comic Con registration fees - to come out to see them, and I think you can tell that they appreciate it. That they're raising money for a great cause is just icing on the cake. You pay $20 a ticket for the Conversation (plus fees), and that every red cent of that ticket price goes to Operation Smile. Plus, if you're attending a Nathan Fillion or Alan Tudyk (or, if you're lucky like us - one where they're both together!) Conversation, you're going to be given a chance (slight though it may be...some people just have way more disposable income than me!) to bid on some of their personal items. Bids get out of control fast, but - you guessed it - every red cent of money earned during the auction goes to Operation Smile.
I've also been lucky enough to attend a couple of the Smiles for Smiles photobooths that are staged at NerdHQ. Again, you give over $20, step into the booth with whichever famous person is on hand at that time - maybe you get a chance to make small talk, maybe you're rushed in and out, the anticipation lasting longer than your time in front of the camera - and walk away with your own personal copy. And you know what? That's right! Every red cent of that money goes to Operation Smile.
Now, don't you feel better about yourself for making a difference in a child's life?
The best thing about NerdHQ is that it's free to get in. I'm not talking about Conversations or Smiles for Smiles right now. I'm talking about the HQ itself. They take over Petco Park, and you're given free reign over pretty much everything there. They bring in their partners, who will set up demos of games or hardware. There are things to watch, to experience, to play with and to yearn for. It's all there for you to explore on your own, and there's tons to see.
Now I'm going to talk about is their Merchandise area. The money from this definitely does not go to Operation Smile; this is where The Nerd Machine makes their money.
They have a small area close to the "main entrance" stairs, where they display their wares. If I were to give any advice, I'd say: Go early! The line for merchandise can quickly get out of hand, and while I was there this year, they had a failure in their check-out system, so we were in line a good 45 minutes longer than we needed to be. But, if you're a fan of geeky wares, and want to commemorate your time at NerdHQ, this is the place to be.
The last thing I'm going to mention are the many volunteers that work NerdHQ every year. From the people who help attendees figure out where to go, to the people making sure the lines for Conversations and Smiles are running smoothly, to the people who man the merch table - they're all amazing. Seriously - they work long hours to ensure that the HQ is being run smoothly, and they never ask the attendees for anything in return.
For my part, I was a high-five machine. The highlight of my NerdHQ highlights? Giving Dave Campbell a sweet one while waiting in line at the Merchandise counter. Aw, yeah! read more