In the past few days, I have noticed that there has been considerable push back and negative comments regarding the #IWantMyNerdHQ crowd funding campaign. I am usually very vocal and usually one of the first to defend something that I feel is honorable and worthwhile when it is under attack. However, in this case, I knew that the best way to respond would be through reflection, consideration, and, the best tool of all, the truth. The most frequent comments made in opposition to the campaign seem to concentrate around the following: 1.) Zac is begging for money to throw a party for his celebrity friends. 2.) How can the NerdHQ boast of raising donations for a charity when they spend more on the event than they raise. 3.) The campaign is misleading because it talks about the charity which is more of an afterthought when it comes to the money. Before I begin, let me explain that I took quite a bit of time and watched all the campaign videos and read the campaign site again (several times actually) to make sure that I got the best understanding of all of it and how it has been presented. So, let me start off by clearing something up. At no point in any of this has Zac or The Nerd Machine staff stated or even implied that the sole purpose of the Nerd HQ is to raise money for Operation Smile. It is plainly stated and explained that in the midst of all that the Nerd HQ is to the fans and delivers to the fans, it simultaneously raises money for Operation Smile. Now, there are very few venues or events that can boast that fact. So, for the record, the Nerd HQ is not a solely charitable endeavor, but endeavors to benefit the charity at the same time that it benefits those that experience it. So, how does it benefit those that experience it? For those that do not make the trip out to San Diego in July, the benefit is over 25 hours of FREE live streamed “Conversations for a Cause”. It is true that even those that don’t contribute get to see them for free, but isn’t that the point. The Nerd Machine has never, NEVER, charged anything for the dozens of hours of professionally produced videos that are available to the fans for FREE. So, if all of that is out there for free, then why would anyone want to donate $5 to watch them. The answer is simple, to see what comes next. If anyone who missed out on the panels has went back and watched one or more of them, I would be willing to wager that they would want to see more videos, with more celebrities, each and every year. The $5 donation helps ensure that those that will not be able to attend will continue to get the chance to see the FREE videos. In the age of $15 movie tickets, $5 for over 25 hours of new content is a serious bargain. Now for those that will be in San Diego in July and will be attending the Nerd HQ, the benefit is obvious. The Nerd HQ is a FREE, open to the public, venue that brings fans, celebrities, tech, games, sponsors, and a boatload of fun for 4 days and 3 nights. Again, it is true that all of those that come out to San Diego in July get in for FREE. So, what is the point in donating $5 if anyone gets in for FREE. Again, the answer is simple, so that you and everyone else gets the chance to come back year after year. In the age of convention passes costing $175 for 4 days and festivals costing several times that for a long weekend, only $5 is ludicrous, but effective, and necessary. Now, here is a bit of truth that is not mentioned on the campaign site for all of those that have concentrated on the $415,000 in donations raised at the Nerd HQ and thought that this was the only time and way that Zac and The Nerd Machine staff aide Operation Smile. The truth is that Zac and The Nerd Machine staff act as ambassadors for Operation Smile year round and help in raising added donations throughout the year that they did not include in the $415,000 figure. What else is not mentioned is that literally hundreds of fans who experience Operation Smile for the first time at the Nerd HQ have gone back home and created their own fund raising efforts that have raised even thousands more for Operation Smile. Additionally, there are other celebrities that are ambassadors for Operation Smile that learned about Operation Smile for the first time when they took part in the Nerd HQ in years past. I cannot attest for the exact amount that Operation Smile has benefited from Zac and The Nerd Machine staff, but I know for a fact that it far exceeds the $415,000 raised solely during the Nerd HQ in years past. Lastly, allow me to speak now from my heart. I have had the pleasure and honor to meet Zac, his family and most of The Nerd Machine staff. I have seen his dedication to the fans and the Nerd HQ first hand. The Nerd HQ is not a party for celebrity friends. The Nerd HQ is a party for NERDS that Zac just happens to invite his celebrity friends to attend. That may seem like semantics, but it is the truth. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that even if not one single celebrity attended and the venue had to be downsized considerably to survive, Zac and The Nerd Machine would still invest all that they could to make it the best event and venue possible FOR THE FANS. But, if reaching out to the THE FANS for a donation of $5 allows for the largest offsite venue that San Diego Comic Con has ever seen and will allow literally thousands of FANS and celebrities to enjoy all that the Nerd HQ has to offer, then WHY NOT? There it is. My response. Facts before feeling, but feeling as well! I hope that this helps! IWantMyNerdHQ
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 22:00:05 +0000
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