Category Archives: News

Samsung Innovation Campus trains young people to become tech professionals for third consecutive year

Samsung Innovation Campus trains young people to become tech professionals for third consecutive year

After two extremely successful editions, Samsung is proud to continue its pioneering Samsung Innovation Campus program. This initiative, which offers young people mostly from disadvantaged situations the opportunity to learn coding through gaming and game technologies, has proven to be a valuable source of knowledge and opportunity. Over the past two years, numerous young people have been put back on the right track through this program; many of them have pursued further education through their sparked interest, while others have found careers in the ICT and tech world.

The Samsung Innovation Campus program is now expanding nationwide with new groups of young people in Utrecht and Rotterdam, under the coordination of the H20 Esports Campus.

The path to digital skills through gaming

The core of the Samsung Innovation Campus program is to further develop young people's digital and social skills through gaming. In an intensive course program of three sessions of three hours each, young people learn programming under the guidance of top trainers and are introduced to the world of digital design and game streaming. The games Minecraft and Roblox are central to the curriculum. In the process, some participants even get the opportunity to present their own designed game at the end of the program. To earn the diploma, participants must complete additional assignments and exercises at home. Best of all: participation in the program is free of charge.

Erik Lauret, CSR & Sustainability Manager Samsung Benelux, emphasizes the importance of this initiative: "With the Samsung Innovation Campus, we are helping young people become more digitally and socially skilled. Gaming offers an accessible way to develop digital, creative and social skills. Samsung sees the positive effects of gaming and wants to contribute with this to the development of young people and the support of the gaming community."

The bridge to the tech world

There is still a significant shortage of IT professionals in the Netherlands, according to the Technology Pact 2020 Monitor. More than half of IT vacancies remain difficult to fill. However, employers are increasingly realizing that good gamers have skills that are valuable for a tech career. A strong player in Minecraft might as well be a programming talent. The young people gaming today are the tech professionals of the future.

Dirk Tuip, Founder of the H20 Esports Campus, said, "The cooperation with Samsung is an important next step in professionalizing the Dutch esports and gaming world. It enables us to train more young people and allow them to discover and further develop their talents."

Equal opportunities for all

Because equal opportunity for all is of great importance, the program, together with local youth organizations, encourages young people to participate in the workshops. The workshops are organized responsibly; focusing on screen time, exercise healthy snacks and drinks.

Register

Young people between the ages of 12 and 24 can enroll in the Samsung Innovation Campus program through the H20 website. Parental consent is required for youth under 18 years old. Groups will be divided by age.

Signing up for the Samsung Innovation program is available at the link below > https://h20.gg/product-categorie/samsung-sessions/

 

Press Release: Positive development for women in esports and gaming! 

September 2023 - H20 Esports Campus is partnering with Alienware to host a community day for women on Saturday, September 30: Queens of the Arena. Together with 10 enthusiastic streaming ladies, who came up with the event, a day dedicated to empowering women in esports will be organized.

 

Ladies Party

As a precursor to Community Day, 3 nights will be dedicated to Ladies Party at Go!Gaming. During these evenings, women can come and play free gaming at Go!Gaming for 2 hours. In addition, women from both teams will be present at the Go!Gaming locations, offering their community a chance to meet their favorite stream star.

Of course, everyone is welcome to drop by. The Ladies Party will take place at Go!Gaming Maastricht, Nijmegen and Utrecht Leidsche Rijn on Thursday, September 14 and 21. Registration for this is via www.gogaming.gg, the number of places is limited.

Queens of the Arena Community Day

On this day a show match best of 3 will be played between team NL and team BE. There will also be several side events with a fun ending for all visitors. Who will be the Queens of the Arena? 

The community day will take place at H20 Esports Campus in the Rabo Esports Stadium. The program is from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and is entirely dedicated to gaming, women in esports and the game VALORANT. For more information, check www.h20.gg/alienwarequeens/

The ladies are all streamers and frequently play VALORANT themselves;

LisjeLive (Team NL)


It's super cool to be involved in the Queens of the Arena event from start to finish. We came up with the idea, pitched it and developed it together with H20. And soon we'll be popping on stage. I will never forget this!

MellieVenenna (Team BE)

"The idea of being able to experience something so spectacular with these amazing girls is something I can't quite grasp yet. It is such an honor to be able to participate in this and soon compete for the title of Queens of the Arena. We're going for it!"

XMileyX (Team BE)

"I am incredibly excited for the Queens of the Arena Valorant Tournament! It's a great opportunity to show that women are just as passionate as men in the gaming world. Together we are going to make an impact and show what female gamers can achieve. Let the competition begin!"

Empowering women

Matthijs Vink (H20 Board of Directors): "It is incredibly cool that we with H20 Esports Campus are partnering with Alienware around this event. With this we can also support the women's branch of esports which we are happy to collaborate on. For this project, we made a conscious decision to set up a competitive/community day so we can have an impact on the acceptance of women in the gaming world."

Would you like to attend? Then sign uphere sign up!

BenQ Zowie starts cooperation with H20 Esports Campus

BenQ Zowie starts cooperation with H20 Esports Campus

 

BenQ Zowie, as the most well-known professional esports gear manufacturer, will start a cooperation with H20 Esports Campus. Both brands are committed to provide the best services and solutions for esports athletes and esports teams. Within the cooperation BenQ will strengthen H20's bootcamp facility by providing the right displays to ensure

that the esports athletes can perform to the maximum of their visual ability.

 

Upgrade esports bootcamp facilities.

ZOWIE's key equipment, XL2546K, which recently became the main display partner of Valorant Challenger Tour EMEA too, will be showing up in the H20 Esports Campus for FPS Pro player's training with prior features like DyAc+ technology, XL Setting to Share, Black eQualizer and other detailed designs. They will help players to be better prepared for the upcoming esports competition.

 

"H20 is very very proud to be partnering with BenQ. This is our next step in becoming a top esports facility and being competitive on a worldwide level. We believe hardware performance is extremely important, therefore it's only logical to be partnering with BenQ Zowie.They will be providing our campus with the best monitors in the industry. Teams that wish to bootcamp or play tournaments in our SEG Training Centre will therefore have the best of the best to use and play on." is what H20's CEO Martijn van der Craats says about this new partnership.

 

It's not just a game

Chris Wang, the Head of BenQ LCD & ZOWIE esports at BenQ Europe: "BenQ Zowie has established itself as key players to develop the best equipment on the market in the field of esports. In recent years H20 has shown that it wants to take esports to the next level and we'd like to help them do that. This is a first step and we hope that many game talents, professional esports athletes and teams will use our high end monitors. At BenQ/Zowie as well as H20, performance is #1."

H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers

Last week of the vacations at H20 in the theme of the H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers!

From Monday, August 22 to Sunday, August 28, H20 Esports Campus will be the scene of the first H20 Game Festival Powered by VIL Lawyers for a week. Apart from the gaming festival, where more than 120 visitors can use the various setups at the same time, various tournaments will be organized, there is a gaming retro expo with PCs from the 70s and 80s, and visitors can sign up for skill sessions. The festival is sponsored by VIL Advocaten, the Municipality of Purmerend and is also part of the PurVak.

Ticket holders of the festival can take advantage of all the gaming opportunities scattered around campus for 3 hours. They can also watch tournaments in various esports such as Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and FIFA 22 from the stands, or participate in them themselves. Each tournament also has a prize pool of no less than 1,000! In addition, they can visit a gaming museum or, for a small additional fee, attend various workshops by Twaanlab, Cubefields, Faber, InformAR or Captain VR. The workshops include: Make your first computer game, Create your own T-shirt design, Discover the world of VR & AR, Create your own Minecraft world & upgrade your streaming skills! With these workshops, young people can learn to discover their digitalent.

"Much of what happens at our campus has to do with innovation, education and development, with a big nod to esports and gaming. We have a close relationship with the region and through partners such as the Municipality of Purmerend and VIL Advocaten we can really put the campus in the shop window for once. This provides an opportunity in an accessible way to offer access to anyone who is interested to come and visit. The best way to end the summer!" Thus says CEO of H20 Martijn van der Craats.

Mr. René Otto is a lawyer and chairman of the industry team gaming at namesake Van Iersel Luchtman Advocaten. "As the only law firm in the Netherlands with a full-service team specialized in games and esports, we find it very important and fun to contribute to the further development of this wonderful industry in the Netherlands. We are therefore very proud to join forces with H20. With the H20 VIL Esports & Gaming Festival we believe not only to bring games & esports to a higher level, but also to contribute to the accessibility of games & esports to a wider group of players."  

Tickets can be purchased through the website www.h20.gg/festival and at the door before or during the entire festival. For young people from Purmerend, the festival is free, registration is required. For the full program check the website.

LXA Advocaten commits itself to the H20 Esports TOP Programme!

The biggest game talent of the Netherlands will be supported by LXA Advocaten for at least the next 2 years. by LXA Advocaten. LXA is a modern and full-service law firm for entrepreneurs and investors, based in Amsterdam & Den Bosch.

The TOP programme of H20 has herewith, next to Vissers Legal, its second official partner and can thus give game talent the opportunity to develop under the guidance of specialists The TOP programme can give game talents the opportunity to develop themselves under the guidance of specialists from the world of Esports and top-class sport. In autumn H20 will start the 4th TOP programme.

Antony Jonkman, partner LXA: "We control all aspects of corporate law and also have the other disciplines relevant to the Esports space on board (such as IP). Thanks to our strong and diverse network, we function as a one-stop-shop. Next gen projects partner with next gen lawyers! We consider H20 and the TOP programme to be game changers that will give this new industry a boost, and are happy to contribute to this exciting development."

Dirk Tuip, Founder H20: "In sports, talent development is usually subsidised by the government and this mainly runs via the sports clubs, the NOC*NSF and sports associations. This structure does not (yet) exist for Esports. It is unclear whether this will come at all, but we did not want to wait for this. Dutch Esports talent deserves a chance to develop as a total athlete and that is exactly what we started doing with the H20 Esports TOP programme."

The talents pay a small contribution of their own for the programme, which currently consists of 4
training camps in which the talents learn facets of top sport, outside the game itself. H20 Esports Campus and our founding partner Talent Academy Group have invested a lot in this so far. It is great that this contribution of LXA gives us more security and continuity for the next 2 years. We hope that more partners will join us in the near future.

Tuip concludes: "Edition III has just started and from now on we will be looking for the greatest game talent who want to give themselves a boost in their personal development and growth in a short time.
game talents who want to give themselves a big boost in their personal development and growth in a short time. Talents can apply via www.h20.gg/talent."

H20 Esports Campus enters into cooperation with Philips Hue

H20 Esports Campus enters into cooperation with Philips Hue

H20 Esports Campus has entered into a multi-year partnership with Signify, the unique
smart and interactive lighting system from Philips. All gaming setups in H20
Esports Campus in Purmerend will be equipped with smart Philips Hue LED lights as part of the partnership.
Philips Hue LED lights as part of the partnership.

H20 Esports Campus has entered into a three-year cooperation with Signify. As
part of this partnership, all gaming setups at H20 will be equipped with the revolutionary
revolutionary smart and interactive Philips Hue lighting system.

Philips Hue's smart lighting seamlessly synchronises with the video games you can play at H20.
at H20, making you feel even more at home in the game. At H20 we pay a lot of attention to
attention to optimise the user experience of our visitors and therefore
this collaboration fits seamlessly.

Earlier this year, Go!Gaming, the partnership between Pathé and H20 Esports Campus
Amsterdam, also switched. The Go!Gaming location in Pathé Rotterdam Schouwburgplein is already
Philips Hue lighting and now also H20 and in the future other
Go!Gaming locations will be provided with the technology of Philips.

According to Matthijs Vink, co-founder of H20 Esports Campus, Philips Hue's unique
lighting system of Philips Hue fits the vision of H20 perfectly: "With the
With the addition of Philips Hue we can offer gamers a new experience that takes gaming to the next level.
gaming to the next level. The smart lighting from Philips Hue
Hue's smart lighting provides an extra dimension that cannot be found anywhere else. We want to make a difference to
We want to make a difference to the wider gaming community in more ways than one and with unique innovations like
Philips Hue, we can offer something that we believe also enhances the quality of gameplay!
gameplay!" Thus Matthijs Vink.

Angelo Landerloo, Partnership manager at Signify: "With this new partnership
With this new partnership it is our goal to broaden the footprint of Philips Hue within the gaming
community. We want to let all visitors of H20 experience our innovations and show that Philips Hue adds value to every gamer."

Watch the Announcement video here!

CaptainVR opens (metaverse) office in H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam

CaptainVR has entered into a partnership with H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam and is opening a new branch on the campus in Purmerend. Special is that both a physical office and an office in the metaverse are opened. A digital twin of the Rabo Esports Stadium and the campus has been created and contains many educational concepts. In this branch, people, companies and schools can discover new technology.

 

CaptainVR develops working and learning experiences with inspiring and immersive technologies to get people moving for work, sports, education, wellness personal development and coaching.

 

The new location on H20 called Captain VR H.A.S. (Hybrid Action Space) is a so-called Virtual Reality and hybrid innovation space where everyone can go to experiment with this new technology. People can visit the location both physically and in VR. This way, visitors can communicate with each other in the virtual world.

 

CaptainVR has also recreated the H20 Esports Campus in the Metaverse, the virtual network of interconnected 3D rooms, making it possible to carry the community of H20 into the virtual world.

 

H20-CEO Dirk Tuip: "H20 Esports Campus aims to pioneer a new way of training and education through esports, gaming and creative tech. We do this by using the ongoing innovation in gaming of which VR, AR and the metaverse are of course a fantastic part. By facilitating an ecosystem on the esports campus, everyone can benefit and that is why we are keen to support and help Captain VR and HAS."

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

About Captain VR:

 

The CaptainVR Hybrid Action Space (H.A.S.) is a hybrid XR/metaverse space where people, organisations, government and schools can experiment with new technology and from that experiment go directly into action. CaptainVR H.A.S. is located at the H20 Amsterdam in Purmerend. This location can be visited in VR as well as physically. This makes it possible for people to interact with each other through the real as well as the virtual world.

 

About H20:

 

H20 Esports Campus is a platform for Developing the Next Generation through gaming, Esports and creative tech. The Rabo Esports Stadium is the first and largest permanent Esports event location in the Benelux and aims to become the Esports hub of Europe. The campus includes a 10,000 m2 Esports gaming arena, workplaces and offices for startups and companies in Gaming, Esports and Creative technology. H20 connects explicitly with training and education. Gamers, Esports players and influencers are the developers of the future.

Martijn van der Craats new CEO & Managing Director H20 Esports

H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam has appointed Martijn van der Craats as its new CEO & Managing Director, effective 1 June. Martijn van der Craats succeeds Matthijs Vink and Dirk Tuip, the founders of H20. After years of dedication and with various growth challenges ahead of them, it was time to hand over the baton. Dirk will focus on the growth of the campus and Matthijs will concentrate on the national and international expansion of the concept with Go!Gaming. Martijn is an experienced manager from the esports world.

In recent years, Van der Craats was involved in the development of the international Dutch/American top team Team Liquid. He brings with him important experience that will be very useful in his new position. Just like Team Liquid, H20 focuses on different target groups, education, top sports, entertainment and media. 

"When I first walked into H20 a few years ago, I was already impressed with the ambition and the plans, that I may now be the captain to bring these plans further to fruition is a boyhood dream of every gamer"Van der Craats says about his new position. "This is a wonderful challenge that made me enthusiastic from the first conversations."

Matthijs Vink, interim CEO for the last few months: "We have known Martijn for quite some time, also because in his Team Liquid period he already showed involvement in our educational activities. We also noticed that he has a heart for esports. Especially during the startup of the Branchevereniging voor Esports Nederland I have had good substantive discussions with Martijn. As former top sportsmen, Dirk and I certainly see the interfaces between esports and sportsand with Martijn we get real esports knowledge. I am confident this will take us to the next level.

That esports experience, his national and international network and experience in building teams made us have a lot of confidence in Martijn. For us this is an important follow-up and growth step to build on the development of esports in The Netherlands and also to make the impact of gaming towards society clearer with content programmes."

Rabobank extends sponsorship deal with H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam

Rabobank recently renewed its sponsorship contract with H20. Three years ago, Rabobank and H20 joined forces to bring young people together in the Rabo Esports Stadium Amsterdam and to stimulate innovation among creative tech startups. The platform for gaming, esports and creative tech developed so successfully that parties decided to extend the cooperation.

A place for education, connection and innovation
Three years ago H20 developed the Esports Tech Campus Amsterdam at Spinnekop in Purmerend. On this campus of more than 12,000 m2 stands the Rabo Esports Stadium Amsterdam. In this largest esports gaming centre of the Netherlands, young game and esports talent meet and are trained for a future in creative tech. The campus is home to various educational institutions, including Horizon College and the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, and to more than 50 companies and innovative startups. Rabobank was one of the first sponsors of the platform.

Eric Zwart, director of the Rabobank cooperative: "As a locally committed bank, Rabobank looks at the social return when it comes to sponsorship. With this sponsorship, we invest in social cohesion by training young people for the jobs of the future, we create business space for creative tech start-ups and we want to be a catalyst for economic growth. The campus is a place for education, connection and innovation."

The digital generation
Rabobank was involved as a partner right from the start of the H20 Esports Tech Campus Amsterdam. Co-founder H20 Esports Tech Campus Matthijs Vink: "That such a solid party as Rabobank connects its name to you, gives a lot of confidence." The H20 Esports Tech Campus Amsterdam is unique in the world. Matthijs: "This is a place where entertainment takes place, where education is followed and where you can develop a business. We are the way to the new generation. Everyone struggles to find suitable staff, but with us the young talents are walking around!"

Esports, gaming and creative tech have a broad scope. Matthijs: "Technology is playing an increasingly important role in business. Gamification, the application of game techniques in non-game environments, is used to optimise business processes, for example. So if you think, as an entrepreneur, that we have nothing to do with gaming, remember that there is a big chance that your future employees do.

A better world
Eric Zwart is pleased that Rabobank has extended its main sponsorship of H20. Eric: "The cooperation between young people, the municipality, education and the business community makes this campus unique. We are fully committed to the future. Founder of H20 Dirk Tuip is currently busy with the area development around the Rabo Esports Stadium Amsterdam. In this special place, we are all working together towards a better world!

Vacancy: H20 seeks OMEN Gaming Club employee

The H20 Esports Campus is the platform for developing the next generation through gaming, Esports and creative tech. It is part of the startup and tech ecosystem in Amsterdam. The campus boasts the Rabo Esports Stadium, the Gaming Club and our newest feature: the H20 Virtual Sports Centre, which recently opened its doors. With more than 12,000 m2 H20 Esports Campus is a Valhalla for the new generation. 

Are you a fan of gaming and Esports? Then you might be the colleague we are looking for! As Gaming Club employee you are the living business card of H20 Esports Campus. You are the contact person for the visitors of the Gaming Club. As host/hostess you are part of the team that makes sure the Gaming Club and the H20 Virtual Sports Centre is operational every day. You welcome gamers who have booked a number of hours of gaming credits, want to play the coolest games and help them on their way. Where necessary, you give tips, help with any technical issues and make their visit such an experience that they really want to come back. 

In addition, H20 Esports also organises activities for young and old, such as children's parties, company outings and tech courses. You can also be deployed to accompany these activities. You put everyone at ease with your open attitude and hospitality. You make sure that all guests leave with a smile on their face. At events (think of company parties, game festivals, esports tournaments) you support the event manager where necessary and you make sure everything is arranged down to the last detail. 

All in all, no day at H20 is the same! 

This is what we ask of you: 

- You are social, customer-friendly, have good communication skills, are not afraid to stand in front of a group and above all, gaming is your thing! 

- You find it easy to approach people and you enjoy meeting new people; - Technical/game questions you enjoy solving for our guests. 

- You are representative; You think ahead so that everything runs smoothly and above all you go for a great experience for everyone who is a guest at H20. 

- You do what is necessary for the best experience of our guests. 

- Are you already on Twitch and Discord? That's a big plus! Of course, you will also receive training from us to fully understand the ins and outs of all activities. 

- You are prepared to work weekends, holidays and, if necessary, in the evenings; - You are available for at least one half-day weekend; 

- You are at least 16 years old. 

What do we offer you? 

- It doesn't get any better than this! You will be working in the whale hall of Esports, gaming and VR with great colleagues who all think gaming and Esports are cool. 

- A part-time job with growth potential that is also easy to combine with your studies. - Varied work in an environment where no day is the same. 

- A competitive salary. 

- Space for personal and professional development. 

Interested? 

Send your motivation and CV to werken@h20.gg stating 'Vacancy Gaming Club employee'.