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Hydrorelax AI Competition Individual Round Concludes: Team Phase Strategy Now Underway

Sep 8,2026
First published: September 8, 2026  ·  Last updated: September 8, 2026  ·  By Sofia  ·  Category: Company News
Proway & Hydrorelax AI competition audience applauding at the award ceremony
Attendees applaud during the award ceremony

On September 4, 2026, Hydrorelax held a meeting to announce the results of its internal AI Competition individual round and officially launch the team phase strategy. Final rankings and awards were presented, and a new evaluation framework for the team phase was introduced. The initiative marks Hydrorelax's transition from individual AI exploration toward team-wide collaboration, business application, and reusable knowledge assets — a journey that began with the AI Strategy Implementation Initiative announced in June.

Individual Round Results and Review: How One Month of Exploration Built the AI Foundation

CEO Jonny opened the meeting by reviewing the full arc of the individual round. He noted that the competition was designed to create a culture where everyone at Hydrorelax actively uses AI — and after one month, that goal has largely been achieved. The groundwork was laid earlier in July, when the team completed a dedicated AI Agent Training Program.

Jonny presents the Proway & Hydrorelax AI competition overview in front of the event screen
Jonny introduces the competition background; the event screen displays the main visual for the Proway & Hydrorelax AI Championship

The meeting then moved into the official results announcement. Jonny explained the competition's evaluation mechanism: AI agents first scored all submissions according to a unified rubric, generating an initial ranking. Four team leaders then presented on behalf of their groups, and the judging panel reviewed and adjusted scores based on those presentations.

Jonny reviews Hydrorelax AI competition results and shares key takeaways
Jonny walks through individual round results and evaluation highlights

Gold Award: Shirley

The judges gave particular attention to Shirley's submission. Her solution leveraged the company's existing channels and used AI features within the team's work platform and multi-dimensional tables to automate the pipeline from lead generation to client background research. The judges recognized it as both distinctive and directly actionable — with clear business value and strong potential for wider adoption.

Gold award presentation: Jonny and Shirley (from left to right)
Gold award presentation: Jonny (left) and Shirley (right); projection reads "Gold Award — Shirley"

Shirley was invited to share a few words. She said she was genuinely surprised to take first place, as she felt many submissions were strong. She focused her entry on a specific business outcome, building the solution around her own role — and said she looks forward to pushing further together with the team in the team phase.

Shirley shares her thoughts on winning the AI competition gold award
Shirley shares her thoughts after winning gold

Silver award presentation: Jonny, Cissy, David, and Peter (from left to right)
Silver award presentation: Jonny (left), Cissy (second from left), David (third from left), Peter (right)

Silver Award: Cissy & David

The silver award went to Cissy and David, both of whom demonstrated strong AI application skills and the ability to connect tools to real work scenarios throughout the competition.

Bronze Award: Henry, Grace & Sam

Henry, Grace, and Sam took the bronze award. Their submissions were recognized by the panel for their practicality and direct relevance to day-to-day business operations.

Bronze award presentation: Jonny, Henry, Grace, and Sam (from left to right)
Bronze award presentation: Jonny (left), Henry (second from left), Grace (third from left), Sam (right)

Team Phase Strategy: How the Evaluation Standard Shifts from Individual Skill to Collective Intelligence

After the awards and sharing segment, the meeting moved into its second part. Deputy General Manager Peter outlined the strategic direction and evaluation principles for the team phase.

Peter drew a clear distinction between the two rounds: the individual phase was about showcasing personal capability, while the team phase is fundamentally about collective intelligence and coordinated execution. He noted that many individual submissions were fragmented in scope, and that team phase participants will need to connect workflows end-to-end, forming a coherent and systematic methodology.

Peter explains the team competition rules at Hydrorelax AI competition
Peter outlines the team phase rules and evaluation criteria

Four evaluation criteria for the team phase:

  • Submissions must address a specific, real problem from actual work
  • Teams must use data to clearly demonstrate efficiency gains before and after AI adoption
  • Submissions must present a complete end-to-end AI application case
  • All outputs must be distilled into reusable, team-wide digital assets

The Takeaway: AI Is Not Optional

The company's leadership closed the meeting with a clear message: AI is not optional — it is a requirement. Adapting to new tools takes time and effort, but the only way to turn AI into a genuine competitive advantage is to commit to learning, reflecting, and putting it into practice. Back in May, the team attended the Made-in-China AI Summit for Global Trade to engage with industry peers; this internal competition is a direct continuation of that external learning.

This meeting was both a recognition of what the team has built over the past month and a call to action for the phase ahead. From individual to team, Proway & Hydrorelax is taking deliberate steps forward in building AI-powered operations.

4 Key Signals from This Meeting

  • AI-powered judging, first time: AI agents scored all entries on a unified rubric; team leader presentations added context — combining objectivity with situational understanding
  • Gold entry focused on business conversion: An automated lead-to-research pipeline with clear, scalable business value
  • Team phase raises the bar: From showcasing individual tools to connecting workflows and building reusable digital assets
  • Leadership sets the tone: AI adoption is mandatory; full participation and real-world application are the core expectations

Looking Ahead: How the Team Phase Moves AI from Personal Tool to Organizational Capability

With the team phase strategy now in place, Hydrorelax enters a new stage of AI adoption. The focus shifts from individual tool proficiency to cross-role collaboration, end-to-end process integration, and reusable outputs. As Jonny shared at the Alibaba East China Business Session, the real value of AI agents lies in embedding them into actual workflows — not in demonstrating capabilities in isolation.

We believe that only by weaving AI into daily operations and building transferable team knowledge can we establish a lasting edge in a competitive market.

Work With Us

If you are a buyer, distributor, or business partner in the spa, hot tub, or related industry, we welcome the opportunity to connect. Hydrorelax continues to invest in AI-enabled operations and deliver professional service to clients worldwide. Contact us to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How were entries judged in the Hydrorelax AI Competition individual round?
The competition used a two-track evaluation process. AI agents first scored all submissions according to a unified rubric to produce an initial ranking. Four team leaders then presented on behalf of their groups, and the judging panel reviewed and adjusted scores based on those presentations before finalizing the results.
What made Shirley's gold-winning entry stand out?
Shirley built an automated pipeline that uses the company's existing channels and AI features within the team's work platform to handle everything from lead generation to client background research. The panel recognized it for its originality, clear business value, and potential for adoption across the team.
What is the core difference between the individual and team phases?
The individual phase was designed to showcase personal AI skills. The team phase focuses on collective intelligence and coordinated execution — requiring members to connect workflows end-to-end, build a coherent methodology, and distill outputs into reusable shared digital assets.
What are the four evaluation criteria for the team phase?
Team submissions must: 
(1) address a specific, real problem from actual work; 
(2) use data to demonstrate measurable efficiency gains; 
(3) present a complete end-to-end AI application case;
(4) produce reusable outputs that can be shared across the team as digital assets.
Why did Hydrorelax launch an internal AI competition?
The competition was designed to build a company-wide habit of using AI in daily work. Leadership has made clear that AI adoption is mandatory, not optional. The goal is for every team member to move from exploring tools to embedding AI into real workflows — creating lasting individual and organizational capability.

Learn more about Hydrorelax products and partnership opportunities

Contact Us
About the author: Sofia is a content contributor at Hydrorelax, focusing on company news and industry insights for the global spa and hot tub accessories market. For inquiries, please contact us.
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