SDCC: Nerd HQ Tips & Tricks!

{Editor's Note:  Fun fact, Els and I met for the first time in person at 2013's SDCC!  We clicked immediately!  We walked and talked through the floor together AND met at the Nerd HQ Serenity screening.  We were insta-nerd-friends!  She spent so much time at Nerd HQ that year, I HAD to ask her to share her tips with YOU!  So here is MY Nerd HQ go to gal with her tips and tricks on conquering the HQ and having an amazing time WITHOUT an SDCC badge!}

By:  Els aka Nerd on the Run {Learn more about Els in our Geek Girls Gab interview!}

Having only scored a San Diego Comic Con ticket for one day last year, I spent most of my time at Nerd HQ.  And let me tell you, it was so worth it.  Nerd HQ is hosted by Zachary Levi (actor in Chuck, Tangled, Thor: TDW), and his company The Nerd Machine.  

Held at Petco Park last year, HQ was the perfect place to combat the craziness of the Con while still getting the complete nerd experience and you didn't need a SDCC badge to attend. Couches were equipped with charging stations, and stadium food and drinks were easily accessible.  As a gamer, I loved the free to play Xbox & PC gaming stations as well as the retro arcade games.  I also loved the professional photo booths set up around HQ.  They were also free, and you could go take as many photos as you wanted with whomever you wanted.  Once you took a photo, you were able to e-mail yourself a digital copy as well as receive an actual print out.  And to even make Nerd HQ even more epic, they hosted big events throughout the weekend such as:

*Nerd party:  Kicking it off on a Thursday night, Zac throws a huge dance party.  And trust me…you would NOT want to miss it.  Many celebrities showed up ready to dance the night away, and the DJ last year was incredible.  It was an entire night of FUN and a great way to release SDCC stress. {FREE to enter and all ages}.

*Serenity screening: Thousands of us Browncoats (complete with our Jayne hats) descended onto the Petco Park baseball field to watch our beloved movie on a giant jumbo screen.  And as an added bonus, Captain Mal Reynolds and Wash themselves joined us and provided hilarious commentary.  Tickets (around $15) were very easy to get, and all the proceeds went to Operation Smile.

*Conversations for a Cause:  Similar to SDCC, there were numerous panels all weekend.  Only 250 people were allowed in each panel, but it created a more intimate setting between the panelists and fans.  Last year some of the panels included:  Doctor Who, Nathan Fillion, Zachary Levi, Supernatural, Joss Whedon, and Tom Hiddleston.  Tickets were purchased ahead of time, and cost around $22.  All of the proceeds went to Operation Smile.  

*Smiles for Smiles:  This was an opportunity to meet and take a picture with your favorite actor/actress!  Some celebrities that participated last year were:  Zachary Levi (he did one at least every day), Nathan Fillion, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Stan Lee.  While the photo booth was normally free, if you wanted to participate in a Smiles for Smiles the cost was $20 – with the money directly donated to Operation Smile. 

{Tips & Tricks}

*Twitter:  I cannot stress this enough…follow the Nerd Machine (@thenerdmachine) and Zachary Levi (@ZacharyLevi) on Twitter!  Any and all updates will be tweeted out, so I suggest having their tweets sent directly to your phone.  Last minute Smiles for Smiles were constantly announced via Twitter, as well as any additional available tickets to panels. {How to set tweets to text your phone}

*Cash:  If you want a photo with a celebrity during a Smiles for Smiles, it’s cash only.

*Tickets: Just like with SDCC, scoring panel tickets can come down to luck.  My best advice is if multiple panels are going on sale at the same time, pick the one you want to go to the most.  You may be able to buy tickets for other panels, but make sure you go for the one you just have to attend – it all sells out quickly.  Last year some tickets weren’t released until I was already in San Diego…but I was able to purchase tickets on my iPad from my hotel room, so buying tickets on a mobile device shouldn’t be a problem.

*Charity:  Remember this weekend is also about charity!  Any panel, Smiles for Smiles, or auction you participate in is a direct donation to Operation Smile.  So feel good about helping those in need while having once in a lifetime experiences!  Take a time to thank TNM, the volunteers, and all involved with Nerd HQ for being generous with their time.

{Comment below if you have any additional questions about San Diego Comic Con. You can also check out our San Diego Comic Con Guide for more useful tips and tricks!  If this post helped you, share please share it with your friends!}