{"id":11929,"date":"2026-06-29T09:25:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T07:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.nl\/?post_type=verhaal&p=11929"},"modified":"2026-06-29T09:25:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T07:25:49","slug":"gamers-and-streamers-inspire-the-digital-economy","status":"publish","type":"verhaal","link":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.nl\/en\/stories\/gamers-and-streamers-inspire-the-digital-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Gamers and streamers inspire the digital economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”798870″]For three years, thousands of gamers and streamers flocked to Ahoy for the European edition of TwitchCon. For the City of Rotterdam, it was a perfect opportunity to connect young people with the city\u2019s digital economy. \u2018Entirely new kinds of jobs are emerging, and these young people already know how to fill them,\u2019 says Britt Doornenkamp of the City of Rotterdam.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the online livestreaming platform Twitch<\/a>, millions of young people come together every day to game, chat, and stream. Gaming is serious business, and streamers are its star players. On the platform, they show how they play and offer commentary along the way. Viewers respond and chat with one another. Some streamers have become genuine celebrities, also making music and inviting viewers into their daily lives.[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery el_id=”gallery-192790″ type=”sticky-scroll” medias=”11924,11925,11926″ sticky_th_grid_lg=”3″ sticky_th_grid_md=”3″ sticky_th_grid_sm=”1″ gutter_size=”3″ media_items=”media|lightbox|original,icon,caption” single_overlay_opacity=”50″ single_padding=”2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”131572″ title=”TwitchCon 2026 Rotterdam”][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”942323″]<\/p>\n

Cosplayers en streamers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

TwitchCon<\/a> was held in Rotterdam for the past three years. Cosplayers dressed as game heroes or beloved characters turned up all over the city, and on the metro, you\u2019d run into streamers heading to event venue Ahoy<\/a>. There, they celebrated their community with gaming tournaments, meet and greets, panel discussions, and new product launches. The event moves to Berlin in 2027, but it put Rotterdam on the map as a frontrunner in the digital economy.[\/vc_column_text]

Entirely new kinds of jobs are emerging, and these young people already know how to fill them.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”338058″]<\/p>\n

Young economy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2018The digital economy makes up 40% of our economy,\u2019 says Britt Doornenkamp, programme manager for digital economy at the City of Rotterdam<\/a>. \u2018There are huge numbers of companies and organisations offering all kinds of things online, selling digital products. It\u2019s a young economy, full of young talent.\u2019 That\u2019s why Rotterdam, together with partners from across the city, was well represented at TwitchCon. The police force had a stand there, and so did Hogeschool Rotterdam<\/a> and Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam<\/a>, both with a presence at Ahoy.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”200507″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”11920″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”122158″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”11921″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”284187″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”199948″]<\/p>\n

Creative young people<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ruwhel Emers is artistic director of Stichting Levels<\/a>, a breeding ground for creative young people. They work with music, but also with gaming, specifically the fighting game Tekken. \u2018We\u2019ve got the best Tekken players in the Benelux training with us,\u2019 Ruwhel says proudly. Besides being a musician, he\u2019s a dedicated gamer, and he\u2019s seen the stigma around gaming slowly fade. \u2018Everyone used to think we were frying our brains. But the benefits are becoming clearer and clearer. You learn to solve problems, to think through routes to reach your goals, and to handle opportunities carefully.\u2019[\/vc_column_text]

Sometimes things feel too good to be true. For a large part of this target group, an event like this just isn\u2019t affordable.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”167233″]The City of Rotterdam invited Ruwhel to organise a fifty-player Tekken tournament at TwitchCon. \u2018Sometimes things feel too good to be true. For a large part of this target group, an event like this just isn\u2019t affordable. Growing up, I never got to go to things like this. So I feel incredibly proud to bring such a big group here with me. And that we get to create something that\u2019s truly ours, something all Europeans can connect with.\u2019<\/p>\n

The outsiders<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With Levels, Ruwhel focuses on a particular group of young people. \u2018They\u2019re really the outsiders, the ones who don\u2019t want to act tough, who just want to be themselves and love gaming. I\u2019m one of those outsiders too. My cousins were drug dealers, and that wasn\u2019t a world I wanted to be part of. They told me I should become a lawyer. But the nerds didn\u2019t want me either, because I was too tough for them. So I\u2019ve always been stuck somewhere in between.\u2019[\/vc_column_text]

Everyone used to think we were frying our brains. But the benefits are becoming clearer and clearer.<\/blockquote>[vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”200507″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”11922″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”128883″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”11923″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”318985″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”424326″]<\/p>\n

Inclusive<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At Twitch, outsiders are exactly who\u2019s welcome. The community is known as being super inclusive, a place where everyone feels at home. Britt agrees: \u2018It\u2019s a world all its own, incredibly diverse, where so many different people feel completely welcome. It\u2019s low-barrier because it\u2019s online. You don\u2019t always have to show your face, but you can always join in.\u2019 You can see that many people have shed that barrier entirely at TwitchCon, walking around enthusiastically with a selfie stick, proudly showing the world exactly who they are.<\/p>\n

Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rotterdam\u2019s investment in young people, and its constant search for solutions, has made Ruwhel a huge fan of his city. ‘I was born in Bonaire. My dad is from Venezuela, but I\u2019m from Rotterdam. This city, I just love its guts. I love everything we stand for: the identity, the hard work. We got knocked down, and we build ourselves back up. We do it together.\u2019[\/vc_column_text]

I was born in Bonaire. My dad is from Venezuela, but I\u2019m from Rotterdam.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”205723″]<\/p>\n

Online skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although TwitchCon is leaving Rotterdam, Britt still sees plenty of opportunity ahead. \u2018The digital economy is much broader than streaming alone. Think gaming, esports, and the creative sector, from film to media production.\u2019 Getting young people into the city remains essential. \u2018Right now, they\u2019re all developing online skills, and we need those skills badly in Rotterdam. They\u2019re our future.\u2019[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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