Nerd HQ

Nerd HQ is the best free event during SDCC. That’s right, folks. It’s FREE. And it doesn’t require a Comic Con pass. Yes, it is open to the public. You can come inside, have fun, do what you want, be nerdy, and have the time of your life WITHOUT spending a penny.
Now, there are some things at Nerd HQ that costs money. They are all optional AND they are awesome. The money events included panels with celebrities like Nathan Fillion, the dudes from Supernatural, the cast of Doctor Who, Stephen Amell, etc. These panels are only about $ 20. Some of the celebrities also do photos after their panels and you just have to donate $ 20 to get a picture with them. That’s right, donate $ 20. All of the money you spend on panels and celebrity photo ops gets donated to Operation Smile. NICE.
Other things you can do at Nerd HQ includes demo-​ing video games (Star Wars Battlefront and Project Morpheus were available for demo this year), getting pictures at the photo booths (this year was a super cool Star Wars photo booth), hanging out in the lounge and charging your phone (a lifesaver when your phone starts to die from taking pictures all day), having a drink at the bar, and grabbing a bite to eat at the many AMAZING food trucks out front.
So, definitely check out Nerd HQ during Comic Con week. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s a great alternative if you don’t have SDCC passes.

I have been going to Nerd HQ since the beginning. This year’s was in a new location, but there are areas for improvement.
1. If you weren’t in the first few rows in the panels, you couldn’t see the people on stage. Thus, the promised «intimacy» of the panel was negated by the necessity to watch it on the TV screens anyway even if you were technically right there. They should put the panelists on a stage if they come back next year. I hear people were actually returning their tickets to subsequent panels because of the discomfort of being packed into a small, hot room.
2. The parties were crowded and there weren’t enough bartenders to handle the demand for drinks. I waited over 30 minutes for a drink at the Thursday party. That was the only drink I could get. I didn’t get in to the Saturday party, but I heard it was just as bad. For an event that must cost a bit and doesn’t charge at the door, this was lost revenue.
3. They should have more than one cashier at the merchandise booth so that people don’t get discouraged. Again, this is a «lost revenue» issue.
The rest was fine. The location has a lot of potential with just a few tweaks. I didn’t buy any food, but the food trucks were a great idea. The lounge area was nice, but most of the people sitting looked bored and depressed, rather than having a great time.

Located in 2015 at the Children’s Museum, this was pretty fun, in a unique environment (two story) and it’s so cool that many features are free.
Unfortunately this little comic con outside of comic con has tickets too and they sell out just as lightning speed fast as the real comic con tickets.
At night, they have little parties you can usually get into, so that is fun.
They have a photobooth every year where you can take your Nerd HQ photo with the Nerd HQ logo. In 2015 they had a replica speeder, in a Hoth environment (not a blue/​green screen) and you could get on for a photo. Reminds me of the old ET bicycle at Universal Studios.
I think if you weren’t able to get comic con tickets you definitely want to check out Nerd HQ as an alternative or complimentary experience.

Nerdiness! At its best. TONS of interactive exhibits & green-​screen photo opportunities. Beer & wine bars everywhere, leather chairs & couches to lounge around, full snack bar & café to munch-​out in, FREE WiFi, and then …
THE PANELS.
After my better-​half got to sit on Captain Kirk’s (Aka William Shatner) lap, I was jealous & thrilled! Just like last year Nerd HQ @ ComicCon —the panels & audience participation IS ALWAYS THE FREAKING BOMB! I GUARANTEE you’ll have a BLAST!

Amazing get away from comic con! I actually prefer going to their panels «conversations for a cause» rather than the comic con panels. It’s laid back and there’s a better chance you get to actually talk to your favorite actors! You can also take picture with the actors at the photo booth. It is around $ 20 for panel tickets and also for the pictures. But all the money goes to operation smile and I am more than happy to pay. There are plenty of lounging seats if you just want to rest your feet.
There’s also a section where you can play new video games and listen to some fun music. Also, nerd hq hosts a dance party for anyone who wants to attend!
All the volunteers at HQ are amazing. They are always helpful which really helps make the experience very enjoyable. It seems like they really want to be there and are always very happy and positive.
I would recommend anyone to come over to nerd hq. Plus, you don’t have to have a comic con badge or pay to just go inside and see what everything is about. Only the panels and pictures you have to pay.

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!

Is this free?! Really?! AMAZE-​BALLS!!!
Pros:
— Free entry, still linked with Comic-​Con but the NERDY-​ness has spread to Petco Park.
— Bunch of free game play from vintage, old school, no new-​age motion-​capture games.
— Free panels & shows
— Not just inside Petco Park but outside too.
— Free stuff to win, to get (if you wait in line) and meet-​n-​greets with celebrities.
Cons:
— umm… nothing that I can think of cause i was too AMAZED at all the stuff there.
No SDCC Badge? No problem. get a free temp Hello Kitty tattoo that shows how «Badass» you are.
See Cosplay Contests throughout SDCC time.
Register to run in the Walking Dead Zombie Run either by being a survivor, a zombie, or just spectating the carnage.
Two major differences from inside Petco Park vs. outside.
Inside: more techy and nerd based with panels speakers and video games.
Outside: Movie and pop-​culture based. Sin City, TMNT, Adult Swim, and other shows were being promoted a long with some other vendors.
All-​and-​all: Freaken awesome time out there.
… oh yeah, my partner liked it too i guess =P

As if Comic-​Con is not nerdy enough… welcome to Nerd HQ, founded by the hottest nerd himself Zachary Levi aka Chuck! The year before I was so sad that I didn’t know about this earlier… last year I made it a point to come here! Trust me, speaking as a nerd herself, this place was AMAZING!!! It was all types of nerdy awesomeness on sooooo many levels! Saw Zachery Levi and man, he is a hottie and if all nerdy boys looked like him, they’d never have trouble finding a date! LOL.
Anyways, this place is an amazing heaven from the madness that is Comic-​Con! Comfy couches for you to rest on, cool lighting, a futuristic/​nerdy/​club vibe, games for you to play… a dance floor… and even panels! The panels are more of casual conversation, afterall, they are called Conversation for a Cause and all the proceeds go to charity. The panels sell out FAST and at $ 22 a seat, it is sooooooo worth it! No ridiculous long lines of Comic-​Con waiting for a panel and it is in such an intimate setting that there are literally no bad seats! My brother and I went to the Psych panel and both him and I were like giddy girls so thrilled to be so close and with virtually no wait! Zachery Levi will introduce the panel, but then sits on the side, lets the panel do their thing, and come back on at the end. He does however host his own panel… and out on the floor, he does make appearances AND with the celebs too. If you happen to be there at the right time, you will see them! While at Comic-​Con, I kept seeing on their Facebook that literally many of the celebs that had panels at Comic-​Con went there after for a more relaxed appearance! If I had known that more, I would had spent more time here at Nerd HQ! If you are looking for freebies though, this isn’t the place for it… besides, Nerd HQ is already free to enjoy!
They do have a party, which I’m hoping this year I can go to. I came here several times during the course of Comic-​Con and always had a great time! I hope they keep doing it here at this location because it was just awesome and so perfect!
I can’t wait for this year! I’m hoping to go to more panels here. I think it’s totally worth the cost and besides, it goes to charity! Comic-​Con is synonymous with nerds and what better place than to be here at Nerd HQ. Best of all, it’s FREE! I’m so here again this year… and yes, I do have my Comic-​Con tickets for this year too!
VIVA LA NERDOLUTION!