An unassuming airport hotel just outside D.C. is about to be overflowing with blerds.

Thousands of blerds — a portmanteau of “black” and “nerds” — will gather for three days in the Hyatt Regency Crystal City to celebrate sci-fi, cosplay, fantasy, comics, and anime. There will be a body painting demonstration, a cosplay contest, a 24-hour gaming room, and a traditional anime-inspired “maid café.” Organizers expect between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees.

But Blerdcon isn’t just your typical geek-culture convention. An emphasis on inclusivity and intersectionality runs throughout the lineup of events, which include a panel on the experiences of black nerds in the Black Lives Matter movement, a presentation on how black women are treated and portrayed in video games, a cosplay discussion led by people with disabilities, and a workshop on making body armor to fit larger bodies.

“These are subcultures within the larger geek culture that have not had the same representation and recognition as other mainstream groups,” said founder and co-chair Hilton George.