Projects For Your Consideration: Nerd HQ

March 28, 2014December 7, 2014 Fangirl Nerd HQ, Operation Smile, San Diego Comic-Con

A project FANgirl is backing is “I Want My Nerd HQ2014.” The brainchild of Zachary Levi, Nerd HQ is a free four day event held in conjunction with San Diego. Its celebrity panels, exclusive gaming and tech experiences raise money for Operation Smile. Contributor Kay was the first to bring their video interviews with Joss Whedon and Tom Hiddleston to the blog’s attention. From their Indigogo donation page:

What is Nerd HQ?

Here’s how the campaign works.

The “I Want My Nerd HQ” Campaign is very simple. We need your support for Nerd HQ 2014. The funding strategy we have been using to produce Nerd HQ is no longer viable due to venue deadlines and the commitments required by the Nerd Machine to properly plan the event. We wish we could continue to subsidize the event ourselves, but we simply no longer can. We believe in our hearts that YOU will help to ensure Nerd HQ can continue to offer an amazing FREE experience for fans in San Diego, fans watching online, and all the children we are able to help through the funds you contribute during Nerd HQ for Operation Smile. To date, the Nerd Machine has raised over $415,000 dollars for the charity.

You have a powerful voice and the Nerd Machine needs you to use that voice and let the world know you support this campaign, whether you can contribute or not. We love and appreciate you either way. We believe that everyone is nerdy about something, so please tweet, post, reddit, and email to get the word out and help us produce the greatest Nerd HQ ever.

Please note that Nerd HQ is not affiliated with San Diego Comic Con International. Nerd HQ is planning to held at Petco Park at the same time as the convention.

This part is very important. We want to make it very clear that the money you are contributing for Nerd HQ is not going to charity. The funds raised here will pay for the production of Nerd HQ in San Diego this July. 100% of the money raised by the “Conversations,” auction items, photos, and signings will continue to be donated to Operation Smile. In 2013, Nerd HQ raised $215,000 for the charity.

Production costs include venue, staging, production crew, event lighting, video, audio, staff, security, and activations. These costs are very expensive and every dollar you donate will make a difference. It is up to YOU, to help us make HQ happen. We will continue the search for sponsors in order to make the event the most amazing HQ ever and bring you, the fans, the most dynamic “Conversations” and the newest in gaming and technology. Not to mention the most epic nights Nerd HQ has ever seen.

Nerd HQ, the best perk we can offer.

We understand that a lack of a perk structure is a rarity, if not a brand new concept, for a crowd funding campaign. However, we believe, and hope you do too, that Nerd HQ itself is the best reward we can offer. Nerd HQ brings you twenty-five plus hours of “Conversation for a Cause” content, live-streamed to everyone, FOR FREE, no matter where you are in the world (some restrictions may apply based on country.) The physical event in San Diego is COMPLETELY FREE for everyone to enter and enjoy. AND, we throw the most epic dance parties for both fans and celebs, again, TOTALLY FREE. In fact, the only things that cost you money at Nerd HQ, aside from all the charitable activations, is Nerd Machine merchandise and the food & beverage that you may buy while enjoying the festivities.

On top of that, perks cost a great deal of money, time, and labor to produce and fulfill. If we offer perks like tee shirts, posters, or even special access at Nerd HQ, then we have to ask for even more funding from you to cover those costs. No physical perks means we can put all the money raised toward making the best Nerd HQ to date, and bringing it to you FOR…wait for it…FREE!

What we CAN offer you is your NAME on the “Nerd HQ Wall of Honor,” that will be on display at Petco Park. This wall will be used to commemorate your victory of making HQ a reality. Each and every contributor will have their name printed on this wall. We will also place your names on the Nerd HQ contributors page at thenerdmachine.com for everyone to see. No hierarchy, nothing based on your contribution. If you give $5, your name could be next to someone who gives $500. We are all in this together.

Most importantly, for your contribution, you will receive our eternal gratitude, loyalty and our pledge to bring you the best Nerd HQ ever!

For those who have experienced our event, you know how amazing Nerd HQ is. For those of you that have not, we simply ask that you go to our YouTube page and watch a few “Conversations.” We believe these amazingly unique and inspiring panels will give you all the reason you need to support our cause.

Zachary Levi-Founder of the Nerd Machine and Nerd HQ

Zachary Levi is best known for the title role on NBC’s hit show “Chuck.” He portrayed a regular guy whose life gets scrambled when government secrets are inadvertently downloaded into his brain while reading an email sent from a long lost friend. “Chuck” has been a media and fan favorite since its fall 2007 release and continues its worldwide popularity even after the series finale.

The Nerd Machine is spearheading a “mission of redefinition” that changes the global perception of what a NERD is, and thereby allowing everyone to celebrate the NERD in themselves. The question is: What are you nerdy about?

Supporting Nerd HQ helps support Operation Smile.

The Nerd Machine’s Nerd HQ is a global experience. Not only because of the content created during the event, but the lives we are able to change around the world with the funds raised at Nerd HQ each year.

Zac has been an ambassador for Operation Smile for several years and he has seen first hand what a difference they make in lives all over the world. With the help of amazing people like YOU, he and the Nerd Machine have raised over $415,000 for the charity. That is almost 1,700 lives that have been changed forever by your support of Zac, Nerd HQ, and the Nerd Machine.

Again, we want to make it very clear that the money you are contributing for Nerd HQ is not going to charity. The funds raised here will pay for the production of Nerd HQ in San Diego this July. As always, One Hundred Percent (100%) of the money raised by panels, auction items, photos, and signings will continue to be donated to Operation Smile.

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Tricia Barr took her understanding of brand management and marketing, mixed it with a love of genre storytelling, and added a dash of social media flare to create FANgirl Blog, where she discusses Star Wars, fandom, and the intersection of women within Star Wars fandom. She is co-author of Ultimate Star Wars and Star Wars Visual Encyclopedia from DK Publishing, a featured writer for Star Wars Insider magazine with numerous articles on the Hero's Journey. Her FANgirl opinions can be heard on the podcasts Hyperspace Theories and Fangirls Going Rogue.

Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.