We recently returned to China for the eighth time and while we were there we competed in a football game against one of our factories in Shenzhen. We had brought a variety of people with us on the trip, including friends and family, to try build the ‘ultimate’ football team.
We stayed in Hong Kong for five of the seven days we were in China and did many different things to keep us busy.
We did some partying, and then spent the mornings exploring this amazing place. One of the best experiences we had was walking up to the peak to see an amazing view of the entire city.
On day four we travelled from Hong Kong to Shenzhen via the ferry and were greeted by a assistant from the factory. He took us to our hotel where we had a quick lunch before heading off to the football stadium, all prepared in our Photronix-styled kits.
The 8-a-side teams play games which last 80 minutes, with two halves of 40 minutes each. This meant there was plenty of running around for the older guys who came on the trip!
The match finished 6-2 to the Photronix team which was another great victory for us, and we are now growing quite a trophy cabinet at our offices in Rustington.
After the match the factory arranged a big party with food, drink and karaoke for everyone including those who took part in the match and those who helped organise the trip. The drinking and partying went long into the early hours of the morning until we realised that we had to be up at 9am to head back to the city! We finished our trip back in Hong Kong and then headed home with a ton of special memories of an unforgettable experience.
I feel honoured and very proud that we have developed this very special relationship with our partners, as it helps us grow from strength to strength and is critical in improving what we do at Photronix.