Congratulations on having the smarts, fortitude, and/or lack of foresight to join the growing ranks of Nerd Nite speakers! Yea, you too shall soon know the sweet taste of free booze and the adoration of a nerdy crowd. But before that happens, there is a bunch of stuff you should know.

What is Nerd Nite?

Nerd Nite is a monthly lecture event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. It’s often about science or technology, but by no means is it limited to such topics. And it’s definitely entertaining. Our unofficial tag line is “It’s like the Discovery Channel – with beer!” There are Nerd Nites around the world and NOLA is just one of them.

What isn’t Nerd Nite?

There are lots of nerdy lecture events in New Orleans. They are fantastic, and we are all big fans. But these other events tend to be family-friendly, sober, and accessible to a general audience. Nothing wrong with that, but we’re different. A good Nerd Nite presentation should violate at least one of those, preferably more.

What is the Nerd Nite format?

Nerd Nite generally opens doors an hour before presentations begin, so attendees can start rolling in and drinking. The Nite begins with the NOLA Boss (Champ) warming up the crowd, giving shoutouts, giving away prizes, etc. Then we have three presentations, each separated by a 10-20 minute break. The cash bar is open the entire time and sometimes there’s a small social event after.

Who is the Nerd Nite NOLA Boss?

Your NNN boss is Champ Superstar, social media gadfly and corn dog enthusiast.

Where and when is Nerd Nite?

Our current home is Castillo Blanco Art Studios (aka the Chewbacchus float den) at 4321 St. Claude Ave. It is a monthly event, varying days. Doors are typically at 7 and the show rolls 8 to 10pm-ish.

What do I get to do as a presenter?

Pretty much anything. From PowerPoint to rap, we’ve seen it. We give you a stage, an audience, some booze, and any audio/visual support you need. You provide the nerdy awesome. The parameters are:

* ~20 minutes of presentation time

* ~5-10 minutes of Q&A

We highly recommend that you use our laptop for presenting since all the technical kinks have been worked out. PowerPoint and Keynote are supported.

What advice do you have for presenters?

Have fun. Get tipsy.

Be funny and entertaining. While this is an educational event, it’s also about entertainment. Steer clear of show-and-tell. Be creative. Don’t take your subject or yourself too seriously.

We are huge fans of Radiolab for making complex topics accessible without dumbing them down – see Radiolab.org for inspiration. Drunk History would make a fine Nerd Nite, though we’d prefer not to have any vomiting. And not least, watch videos of those who have gone before you! Feel stumped? Talk to your NOLA boss, I am here for you.

What do I, the presenter, need to do besides present?

Several weeks before the event, send us a brief and funny:

* Topic title

* Teaser Summary

* Bio

The topic title, teaser summary, and bio will go into our PR materials and appear on event websites, Facebook, newspapers, etc. We need these as soon as possible after requested before the actual Nerd Nite event. Take a gander at the event archives at http://nerdnite.com for examples.

At some point, please send us a copy of your presentation.

Lastly, promote, promote, promote! We’ll do our part, but any evangelism you can do is appreciated.

Oh, @#&$%, I’m going on stage TODAY, what should I know?

Tech check-in is at 6 pm. This will give us time to quickly go through your presentation and make sure there aren’t any kinks.

Anything else?

I am here to help! Proofreading, joke testing, image hunting, whatever. I am here to help you deliver an awesome show so don’t hesitate to contact me.