Zachary Levi and David Coleman’s uber brand The Nerd Machine is bringing fan favorite NERD HQ back to the New Children’s Museum.
This marks the sixth year for NERD HQ to set up camp in downtown San Diego for the annual SDCC weekend. NERD HQ brings the nerd community a four-day haven to connect, recharge and enhance their Con experience. This year’s guests can look forward to a return of the preeminent “Conversations for a Cause” panel series, as well as over 160 hands-on gaming experiences on both PC and console brought to you by AMD and Xbox, and a VR experience brought to you by Oculus.
NERD HQ is excited to announce a reteaming with gaming partner AMD and this year’s new co-headline sponsor, Xbox. This new sponsorship will bring combined 13 playable titles which includes Battlefield 1 courtesy of EA and DICE, playable on 64 PC’s powered by AMD, and Xbox One hands-on gameplay experiences including Gears of War 4, Halo Wars 2, Titanfall 2, Dead Rising 4, ReCore and Minecraft: Xbox One Edition and many more. Fans will also get to experience several new PC games from The Square Enix Collective including The Turing Test & Black the Fall.
NERD HQ will see the expansion of the fan experience with a new VR gaming lounge, in partnership with Oculus and AMD. Located on the upper level, players can get hands on with a range of VR experiences all playable with the new Oculus Rift.
The fan favorite philanthropic panel series “Conversations for a Cause” will once again be positioned on the lower level in a dedicated enhanced auditorium. The annual panel series has given fans unique opportunities to have sometimes surprising, intimate experiences with their favorite celebrities. Previous panels have played host to some of the biggest names in pop-culture like Joss Whedon, William Shatner, Tom Hiddleston, Tatiana Maslany, Nathan Fillion, Sophie Turner, Andrew Lincoln, Jeff Bridges, Seth Green, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Guillermo Del Toro, Vin Diesel, Kellan Lutz, Dylan O’Brien and Norman Reedus, just to name a few. Tickets for panels are $22, and all proceeds raised through ticket sales go directly to non-profit Operation Smile whose mission is to help improve the health and lives of children across the world. For 2016, all of the panels will be streamed live on multiple platforms, including Facebook, IGN, AMD & the Nerd Machine YouTube Channel, NerdMachineTV.
The NERD HQ APP and website have undergone a complete rebuild. Guests will be able to pre-register for Nerd HQ, secure gameplay sessions, and link to Brown Paper Tickets to purchase seats for “Conversations for a Cause” panels. Fans who cannot make the event can watch the entire lineup through an integrated NERD HQ YouTube channel. The Nerd HQ website has also been updated and features all of the same functionality as the Nerd HQ App. ( thenerdmachine.com/nerdhq ) The Nerd HQ app will be available to download on iOS and Android in early July.
NERD HQ welcomes newest sponsor Johnson & Johnson in 2016. The merging of the company’s popular ‘Donate a Photo" app and NERD HQ’s popular “Smiles for Smiles” campaign, will offer fans a new opportunity to raise funds for Operation Smile. Whether it’s through the APP or onsite at NERD HQ for every photo uploaded, Johnson & Johnson donates $1 to Operation Smile.
Live.Me will also be on board as a brand partner for NERD HQ. Live.Me is the live broadcasting app that has found its home in the top 10 app list after only launching in April of 2016. It allows fans to share virtual gifts to broadcasters, which can be redeemed for cash. The App will give fans exclusive access to celebrity interviews from the “Conversations for a Cause” green room, along with an insiders look at all action at NERD HQ. In an effort to raise more awareness and support for Operation Smile, all proceeds raised on the official NERD HQ Live.me channel from July 21-24 will go directly to the organization. Be sure to follow all the excitement at NERD HQ by downloading Live.Me and following The Nerd Machine.
NERD HQ will also partner for the first time with Hallmark, which is debuting its new pop-up shop experience, PopMinded, This experience will offer a curated selection of Hallmark’s most popular products, including Keepsake Ornaments, featuring iconic pop culture brands. Fans can also purchase a limited edition exclusive Classic TV Series Batman, part of a new line called Squeelys, pick up free limited edition buttons from the itty bittys line, and can participate in building a live mural during the four day event.
Fan’s can expect NERD HQ to once again be the destination for the best dance parties in town. This year NERD HQ will bring back the popular Fan Party on Thursday, the exclusive NERD PARTY on Friday, and a final “Dance the Night Away” farewell party on Saturday night to wrap up the weekend.
For the latest information on Nerd HQ 2016 at the New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego, click here.
