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Lighting luminary adds some sparkle to the city

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For Sonya Wu On, all roads have led to the family firm, whose work runs from illumination to investment

Most people see the Hong Kong skyline in terms of its diverse architecture, but to Sonya Wu On it's a naked stage waiting to be lit.

As managing director of Aspirations, the international lighting, construction and corporate branding firm, she thinks big - and high. Whether at Hong Kong headquarters, or branch offices in New York and Vancouver, she is focused on winning the next government tender for festival or decorative lighting here, in Canada or the United States.

For her and the 4,000 staff at the firm's Guangdong factory, Christmas and Lunar New Year begin now, as her creative teams plan how the buildings and streets of Hong Kong and other cities will be lit from December to February.

So time-sensitive is the highly competitive festive lighting industry in the Pearl River Delta that displays must be planned months ahead to ensure delivery deadlines are not thwarted by shortages of water and electricity, she says. Everyone is looking over each other's shoulder. 'Because of the supply and demand chain, different factories have developed different techniques to speed up production,' Ms Wu explains.

Aspirations is part of privately-owned family conglomerate Hong Kong & Asia Ltd, whose interests include commercial property investments in New York and Vancouver, mattress maker Prosperity and hotpot restaurants as well as lighting.

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