Category Archives: News

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'.

Pathé and H20 join forces to invest heavily in gaming and esports with Go!Gaming

AMSTERDAM, 8 July 2021 - Pathé and H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam are joining forces to bring a completely new gaming concept to cinemas this autumn: Go!Gaming. Go!Gaming are game locations at Pathé where gamers, esports enthusiasts and Pathé visitors can play together using the best and latest game consoles and PCs. The first Go!Gaming location will open in the autumn at a Pathé branch that has yet to be announced.

Go!Gaming brings gamers, esports enthusiasts and Pathé visitors together to discover the fun and excitement of gaming. Experience, relaxation, gaming together and self-development are central to this. The concept will be launched this autumn, when the first location will also be announced.

Pathé and gaming

Bram van den Broek, Director Operations Pathé, and Matthijs Vink, co-founder of H20 Esports Campus, are the directors of Go!Gaming. Van den Broek: "Go!Gaming is the perfect addition to the cinemas of Pathé. It is important for Pathé to remain relevant for new generations and therefore we continue to innovate. The popularity of gaming and esports has been growing for years. In the past year, we have also noticed that people need entertainment more than ever before, but at the same time they also need interaction and social contact.

We have often organised successful small-scale gaming and esports events in our cinemas and since this summer we have launched Pathé Play, where visitors can play games on the big screen using their own console. By adding Go!Gaming to our cinemas, we can serve our younger target groups and gamers even better. With H20 Esports Campus we have found a partner who strives for the same top quality and customer experience and who has years of experience in building a professional Esports Tech Campus and Esports Stadium. Go!Gaming will make our cinemas even more the place to enjoy an evening or day out with friends and family."

H20 Esports Campus

H20 Esports Campus is the Dutch on- and offline platform where esports, gaming and creative tech come together, and where Dutch esports talent is trained and prepared for a future in creative tech. Matthijs Vink, co-founder H20 Esports Campus: "We are extremely proud that we are going to bring this new concept to the market together with market leader Pathé. After our launch at the end of 2019, we were hit hard by the corona crisis, but in spite of that we still managed to achieve considerable growth. Now it is time for the next step.

Through the cooperation with Pathé we can expand our activities from top esports players to a broader target group of gamers and introduce them to the H20 Esports Campus. Our goal is to create an environment where the right guidance and expertise is available so gamers can meet each other in an educational and responsible manner. If more professional esports players eventually roll out of that, that would be great."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTzs6QbVmY

Launch Go!Gaming

In the coming weeks, the parties involved will work hard on the further interpretation and realisation of the concept. The exact details of Go!Gaming and the location will be announced this autumn, together with a festive launch. Visitors can keep an eye on the social media channels of Go!Gaming, Pathé and H20 Esports Campus. The links are on the website www.gogaming.gg .

Horizon College starts cooperation with Bit Academy at H20

After the summer holidays, the Software Developer course has started in the H20 esports campus. This is a course offered by Horizon College in Purmerend in close collaboration with Bit Academy, an initiative aimed at better linking ICT education to the job market. The students learn from seniors and coaches how to deal with the rapid developments within this field in a different way. They work on realistic assignments from the business world. The partnership with Bit Academy fits in perfectly with the aims of the PurmerValley foundation. The foundation recently received a 2.5 million subsidy to develop and accelerate ICT projects in the Purmerend region.

During the Software Developer course, young people are trained to develop software for various applications such as websites, games and mobile apps. The H20 esports campus is also home to several young technology companies in order to stimulate cross-fertilisation between education and business.

The field has grown enormously due to the technological revolution of the past decades. The need for well-trained ICT personnel is therefore many times greater than the supply. New techniques and frameworks appear every month, which means that students must learn to deal with rapid changes. This requires a different form of education. One that revolves around learning and collaboration.

LEARNING AT YOUR OWN PACE

Students can choose their own direction and pace within the programme. The majority of the time, the student is busy with assignments from the business world, so they already get acquainted with it. Coaches from the business world with up-to-date experience guide the students and give workshops on current developments. Also 'in time learning' has been introduced: students have to investigate by themselves by trying things out. In doing so, they run into problems and are more open to absorbing material about the required method of working. Another important pillar is cooperation: you learn together instead of individually. Students are not only making assignments together, but also coaching each other, giving feedback and asking each other for help. By working together with Bit Academy, we expect to be able to help more young people develop their talents to meet the need for well-trained ICT staff in our region,' says Patrick Colli, ICT training manager at Horizon College.

BIT ACADEMY

The collaboration with BIT Academy is one of the initiatives to interest young people in training and a job in ICT. The PurmerValley Foundation, a partnership between the regional business community, education and the municipality of Purmerend, recently received a EUR 2.5 million subsidy to strengthen and enrich ICT education in the Purmerend region. The collaboration with Bit Academy contributes to this.

OMEN Gaming Club in the H20 Rabo Esports Stadium in Purmerend opens every day from 2 October

Until now, it was mainly group activities that could be booked in the Rabo Esports Stadium, part of the H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend. But the largest esports centre in the Netherlands opens every weekend in September. This weekend, for the first time, you can come and play, race and chill in the new Omen Gaming Club. And you can watch the semi-finals and finals of League of Legends on a mega LED screen. From 2 October, the Omen Gaming Club will even be open every day.

"After months of delay due to construction challenges and Corona, it is finally here," says manager Sjaak Kuil. "During the summer we started the group activities. Now it's time for the next step. The OMEN Gaming Club will be set up within the Rabo Esports Stadium just like a sports club or fitness club. So there will always be supervision present and you can become a member. A Valhalla for interested people of all ages. Members can participate in a variety of activities such as coaching sessions, training sessions, online and offline tournaments, events and more. And it will also be a friendly club where young people can socialise with each other."

Gaming with high-end equipment.

Everyone can game on the latest high-end desktop PCs, Playstations and racing simulators! This is made possible by our partners OMEN, ACER, Game Seat and PlayStation. We focus mainly on competitive gaming titles such as League of Legends, CS:GO, Rocket League, Fall Guys, Fortnite, PUBG. But Brawl Stars, Roblox, Minecraft and many other games are of course also available. During the months of September and October we have an opening promotion where you can play 3 hours of games for only 4 euros. Check www.h20.gg for more information. Don't miss out on this opportunity, will you?

Responsible gaming and talent training
The club is for young and old. Of course we keep it responsible and that is why you can play a maximum of 3 hours a day. Sjaak: "There are still few places where parents and children can go when it comes to gaming. We want to be a place where counsellors can point out the rules of conduct to young people. We use a lot of knowledge and experience from sports, so regular exercise and good nutrition are very important to us. More is not always better. Also, really great talents can get extra support in a special Talent Development Programme that is currently being developed."

Opening hours
In September 2020, the Omen Gaming Club will officially open every weekend with the following opening hours:

Saturdays from 14:00 - 21:00
Sundays from 14:00 - 21:00

From Friday 2 October, the Omen Gaming Club will be open 7 days a week with the following opening hours (start 2 October)

Monday 16:00 - 22:00
Tuesday 16:00 - 22:00
Wednesday 16:00 - 22:00
Thursday 16:00 - 22:00
Friday 16:00 - 24:00
Saturday 12:00 - 24:00
Sunday 12:00 - 22:00

Sjaak concludes: "I would say join the Omen Gaming Club now, part of the H20 Esports Campus, the largest Esports Gaming centre in Western Europe! We hope to welcome many young people to the Rabo Esports Stadium soon!"

Movamento Fysiotherapie opens new office at H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam

Movement specialist Movamento, with several physio practices throughout the Netherlands, starts a new branch at the H20 Esports Campus in the Amsterdam area. The sixth office of owner Jelle Heisen will focus on the guidance of gamers and esporters. With this step the ambitions of H20 Esports are underlined to facilitate talents of a future in a responsible and safe way.

Jelle Heisen
Dirk Tuip, founder of H20: "I've known Jelle for a long time, both from my time as an active top athlete and from the last two years when we worked together in the Expert team around the handball ladies. Here I have been involved as coordinator of the national team. Jelle is the regular physiotherapist of the ladies who became world champions last December. Our vision on top sports is similar, and we want to use this vision within esports.

Jelle Heisen, owner of Movamento: "H20 has a great ambition and that appeals to me. I can't wait to use the insights and knowledge I gained in my life at Ajax, the Dutch Handball Federation and within our physiotherapy. We have had some pretty big challenges with COVID in recent months, but we do see this as an opportunity to use our experience in this new industry."

Vision Movamento on ergonomics within gaming
Heisen continues: "As physiotherapists, we see the impact it has if there is a hitch somewhere in a movement. The goal of3rbeteren. The optimal performance for each individual at each level is the starting point to work with! We see that more and more people are sitting down a lot for their work. In gaming and esports this is of course a topic and we want to do something about this preventatively and in case of injuries."

Using knowledge of esports and Virtual Reality in healthcare
There is still a lot of undeveloped territory in the field of gaming and esports and we are very motivated to tackle this within the H20 Esports Campus. Our knowledge to prepare the body optimally, in combination with good ergonomics, can make the difference in top esports. We will also use the knowledge and experiences from esports in healthcare. Developments such as Virtual Reality and the use of data will be used to innovate healthcare.

DIMITRI VEGAS, LIKE MIKE AND OUR PARTNER MIRANDA HUYBERS START UP NEW GAMING, MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE AGENCY.

World number 1 DJs and producers Dimitri Thivaios and Michael Thivaios, better known as Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, have joined forces with Miranda Huybers. Miranda has over 14 years of experience in the Game industry. She was part of the Call of Duty team at Activision and Marketing & PR Manager at Nvidia Benelux. Together they form a new agency called 'The Smash Universe', which focuses on the synergy between music and gaming. In the coming period various activities will also be developed within the H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam. Keep an eye on the website and our social media channels of H20 and The Smash Universe.

The Smash Universe will focus on providing management services for content creators, gamers and lifestyle influencers. The focus will also be on the creative development of events and marketing concepts both online and offline. The agency is at the forefront of gaming, tech, lifestyle and music on a professional level.

Nick Depauw, co-founder SMASH esports (professional e-sports league), is a partner of The Smash Universe. This partnership allows Nick and his team of gamers to participate in a wide range of activities. Other professionals joining this new venture are Nick Royaard (manager of Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Lost Frequencies), as well as Perry van de Mosselaar and Dwayne Megens. They are part of Smash The House Records, an independent record label that releases music by top dance artists. The Smash Universe is supported by Smash The House Records' years of experience in the music industry.

Besides management services, the company plans to be a resilient partner with their marketing and PR activities for global brands. They want to achieve this by offering different packages for offline and online exposure.

Dimitri Thivaios (Dimitri Vegas): "I'm super excited about this new project, which connects music and gaming. Both worlds are very important to me!".

Miranda Huybers: "Creating a new universe that combines the worlds of gaming and music has been a dream of mine for years. Therefore I am very excited to work with this great team and introduce everyone to The Smash Universe. The focus is on online content and unique concepts in which we are part of the entire customer journey and always ready for everyone."

In the coming period various activities will be developed within the H20 Esports Campus Amsterdam. Keep an eye on the website and our social media channels.

Twitch channel The Smash Universe: https://www.twitch.tv/thesmashuniverse/videos

Boot camp at the SEG Esports Training Centre

Are you a fan of LAN parties, but is it always just too much of a hassle to get everything working? That's now all in the past as you can boot camp together with your friends in the SEG Esports Training Centre within the Rabo Esports Stadium!

The old maths room now houses 12 high-end gaming Desktop PCs with the latest monitors, racing chairs, mouse, keyboard and headset. There are lockers, lightning fast internet and all kinds of catering possibilities to make it as comfortable as possible for the gamers. Currently, one of the best League of Legends teams in the Benelux, the Lowland Lions, is playing here on the Campus. So the first weeks of the SEG Esports Training Centre are immediately booked with esports talents!

Rowan Stroo, Sports Entertainment Group's Esports Director, said:

"With the SEG Esports Training Center, SEG wants to enable teams and players of all levels to train under optimal conditions and also help to further develop the Dutch esports scene in cooperation with H20 Esports Campus."

Rowan Stroo - Esports Director of SEG

Now that the SEG Esports Training Centre is complete, several professional and amateur teams can train here.

"Bootcamps are essential among esports players for all game titles. We are proud to now be able to offer a full boot camp room to top international and local teams. Teams can train here for half a day, full day or days. Esports is top sport!"

Sjaak Kuil - General Manager H20 Esports

It is now possible to book the SEG Esports Training Centre with your friends!

Netherlands' largest gaming centre restarts with various summer activities

Are you not going on holiday this year and are you looking for a fun group or family activity? Or do you still need to celebrate your son's or daughter's children's party? Then the Rabo Esports Stadium on the H20 Esports Campus in Purmerend is certainly worth a visit. This is the largest gaming centre in the Netherlands. After a period in which the campus was forced to close its doors, the largest Esports Gaming Centre of the Netherlands will reopen on Saturday the 4th of July. The official opening will follow later. For families we designed special Esports Experience Tours, for children we organise Gaming Holiday Camps and of course the best children's parties.

Sjaak Kuil, manager of esports gaming activities: 'We've been itching to reopen for weeks, but it has to be done in a responsible and safe way. June we found too early. At this location we are quickly up to 30 people, so this relaxation was not enough for us to open the doors. Saturday 4 July is still under reserve. The government has yet to confirm that we can receive 100 people from July onwards, but in the meantime we look forward to this with confidence.

Special birthday parties for children between 16 March and 30 May

A lot of children's parties will have been cancelled in recent months. For those who had a birthday between 16 March and 30 May, we have a special offer! The birthday boy or girl will receive a cool gift that of course has to do with gaming. Fortnite children's parties, Minecraft Masters, flying with drones, Virtual Reality or interactive sports, or a combination of all this, for boys and girls from 7 years of age there is plenty to do. Our range of children's parties is growing every week and can be seen at www.h20.gg.

H20 Gaming holiday camps

The H20 gaming holiday camps are intended for boys and girls aged 7 to 12. During the summer holidays, children can compete with their peers in a lifelike gaming arena in various games such as Fortnite, FIFA 20 and Rocket League. In addition, they can race like Max Verstappen on a Formula 1 circuit in one of our racing seats.

Besides gaming, we also pay attention to sports and games. We think it is important to get a lot of exercise during the day. We have interactive gaming walls where you are challenged to get the best out of yourself. That means running and flying as well. Children can register for one or more days.

Unique day out with the Esports Experience Tour

The H20 Esports Experience Tour is a unique tour through the largest esports & gaming centre in Europe. During the tour participants will get information about the history, the present and the future of esports. During this tour one looks through the eye of the gamer, the viewer or parent, but also through the eye of the child. The H20 Esports Experience Tour is a unique experience for young and old! In about 1,5 hour you will learn more about all the activities that the H20 Esports Campus and the Rabo Esports Stadium offer.