Event services provider for agencies and marketing departments
You carry the promise. Celesta embodies both skill and risk.
Celesta designs and produces the fireworks displays, drone light shows and special effects for the agencies and marketing departments that create a brand’s defining moments. With in-house F4-certified pyrotechnicians, our own licensed storage facility and administrative authorisations arranged by us: the technical and regulatory responsibility does not lie with you.
- In-house F4-certified pyrotechnicians
- Administrative authorisations managed
- France, Europe, the Middle East, Asia
The dividing line
You are the agency. We are the technical arm.
There is often a gap between the marketing vision and technical reality. We bridge that gap. Your Celesta pyrotechnician transforms your most ambitious concepts into flawlessly executed, safe and fully compliant displays. No empty promises, no last-minute surprises: we take full technical, operational and regulatory responsibility for your projects. You retain control over your brand image; we guarantee the technical aspects behind the scenes to ensure a show your guests will remember for a long time to come.
Event agencies
You are orchestrating the entire experience and need a grand finale that won’t jeopardise the evening. We deliver the finale, with the technical and regulatory rigour that your client demands without even realising it.
Communications and Marketing Strategy
Product launches, brand events, company anniversaries: whether you’re the agency or the advertiser’s marketing department, you have a message and a brand image to protect. We translate your vision into scenography, whilst always staying within the visual parameters you have set.
Production companies
You’ve got a running order, a budget and production control. We slot in as just another role, with our editing schedules, our timecode and a contact person who’s always available – not like a service provider you have to go out of your way to find.
The four disciplines
Four disciplines, a single artistic direction.
They can be combined or stand alone. What matters to you isn’t the list itself, but what you can tell your client without overselling, and what we are committed to delivering behind the scenes.
What you are announcing
What we guarantee
Fireworks displays and pyrotechnics
A carefully choreographed finale, synchronised to the music and tailored to the venue and the expected audience. That’s the moment your client will remember and talk about.
Scriptwriting and firing carried out by our F4-certified pyrotechnicians; products stored in our licensed storage facility; prefecture declaration submitted by us. See the details on the pyrotechnic show page.
Light drones
A logo, an object or a story sketched out in the sky, silently and with no fallout. The pitch can be summed up in a single sentence to a client who is mindful of their environmental footprint.
Flights in compliance with European Regulation 2019/947, registered drone pilots, and an airspace application submitted at least forty-five days before the show. See the drone light show page.
Sound and light show
The way the setting is brought to life, the contrasts and the moments of silence that hold a sequence together. This is what ties the key moments together, rather than simply juxtaposing them.
Acoustic assessment of the site, layout approved prior to installation, synchronisation with the soundtrack using timecode, and architectural integration discussed with the venue.
Video mapping
The façade becomes the canvas for the narrative. The architecture of the site ceases to be a mere backdrop and becomes a key element of the production.
Three-dimensional surveying and modelling of the building, on-site optical alignment, and special effects integrated in the same sequence as the rest of the show.
In pictures
Two areas of expertise, a single pipe.
What we cover
Four things that you no longer need to wear.
These are the four areas where an agency is left to its own devices when its service provider outsources work. With us, these tasks are handled in-house, which is why we can commit to a deadline.
In-house F4 pyrotechnicians
Our own pyrotechnicians hold the certification required for professional-grade fireworks displays. We do not subcontract this specific aspect of the work.
Licensed storage facility
Our licensed storage facility gives us logistical autonomy and ensures that materials are available when you need them for production, without having to rely on last-minute supplies.
Timecode synchronisation
Every effect is synchronised to the millisecond with the action. Lights, drones, lighting and visuals come into play exactly when the narrative requires them, never by approximation.
A single point of contact
The same person is familiar with your project, your venue and your requirements from the initial briefing right through to the big day, and coordinates all the different disciplines in-house. You only need to dial one number.
The shared timeline
Five steps, and at each one a clear division.
Nothing is more costly than a grey area between an agency and its technical service provider. Here is a step-by-step guide to who does what, so that you know what you still need to produce on your end.
You
We
01
You set the framework for us
The communication challenge, the message, the audience, the date, the venue and the budget you have available for the entertainment element.
01
We are assessing the site
Suitability of the site, safety distances, the local area, airspace. You’ll know very quickly whether the project is viable, before you even discuss it with your client.
02
You decide on the intention
You decide on the tone, duration and timing of the performance within the overall schedule of your event.
02
We’re writing the show
Statement of intent, selection of musical genres based on what each contributes to the overall concept, musical structure and detailed cost breakdown – all ready to be presented to your client as they stand.
03
You open the doors
Access to the site, contact details for the venue and the local authority, and a shared fit-out schedule with other trades.
03
We are putting the file together
Risk analysis, site plan, regulatory documentation and the submission of declarations. This is the task that agencies dread the most, and it isn’t your responsibility.
04
You’re holding the running order
You remain in control of the overall running of the event and who speaks. We adapt to your timetable, never the other way round.
04
We set up and rehearse
Installation, real-world testing, verification of synchronisation and a safety briefing with the venue prior to the arrival of the public.
05
You stay with the customer
On the big day, you’ll be with your client, not running after a service provider. That’s the whole point of this post.
05
We’re in charge of production control
A dedicated team, meticulous management, technical decisions taken on the spot, followed by a written debrief for your future projects.
The two clocks
Two clocks are ticking, and they don’t run together.
That is the question agencies tend to ask last, when it should actually be the first. There is time to put on the show, and there is time for the administrative work. You cannot make up for the latter.
3 to 6 months
The Time of Creation
This is the timeframe within which we undertake a full-scale production: writing, location scouting, sourcing and rehearsals. If you need it done in less time, a more intimate event is still possible, but please do let us know straight away rather than leaving us to work it out for ourselves.
1 month · 45 days
The era of the administration
Permits must be applied for at least one month before a fireworks display; for a drone light flight, at least forty-five days’ notice is required. These two minimum timeframes are beyond our control and are non-negotiable: they will dictate your reverse schedule.
3 à 6
Months in advance
For a large-scale bonfire or a major drone show
+20
Countries where the organisation operates
France, Europe, the Middle East, Asia
F4
Certification
Professional-level shooting
ICPE
Licensed storage facility
Full logistical autonomy
The fallback plan
What’s happening when the weather isn’t on our side.
A shoot may be prevented by the wind, a prefectural drought order or a last-minute restriction. It’s rare, but this is the scenario in which an agency finds itself on the phone with its client all on its own. We prefer to let you know in advance how it works.
What you’re wearing
What we wear
Communicating with your customer
You remain your client’s sole point of contact. We never contact them directly without your consent, even in an emergency.
Information, provided early and in writing
We monitor the conditions and regulations in advance. As soon as there is any serious cause for concern, you will be notified in writing of the recommended course of action – not that very evening.
Commercial arbitration
Postpone, cancel or switch to another sport: the decision is yours, as it affects your relationship and your contract.
Technical options
Here are the options that are still on the table: reducing the scale, switching to drones or to the light show, or postponing the event until the evening. You can choose from these actual options, rather than simply cancelling the event outright.
The contractual framework
The terms and conditions regarding postponement and cancellation are set out in the quote, discussed before it is signed, and are never revealed at the last minute.
Responsibility for implementation
The technical decision not to set off the fireworks was ours, and we take full responsibility for it. An agency should never have to make a judgement call on a matter of pyrotechnic safety.
An extension of your teams, not just another service provider.
Please describe the project to us, including its date, location and purpose. You will receive a creative brief and a quotation which you can present to your client as they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
What the agencies ask us before signing.
Who makes the prefecture declaration for the show – you or us?
We. Celesta takes care of putting the application together, preparing the required documents and submitting the application, and we will send you the acknowledgement slips. You only need to provide the items that depend on the venue and the organiser; we will provide you with a list of these as soon as the venue has been approved.
How long before the event should we book you?
Allow three to six months for the entire production. On top of this, there are two non-negotiable deadlines: at least one month before a fireworks display, and at least forty-five days before a drone light flight. It is these two dates, not ours, that will dictate your reverse schedule.
What happens if the draw is cancelled the day before?
You will be notified in writing as soon as any serious concerns arise, along with our recommended course of action and the options still available: reducing the calibre, switching to drones or lighting, or postponing the event until later in the evening. The commercial decision is yours to make; the technical decision not to fire is ours, and we take full responsibility for it.
Are you working as a subcontractor on an event that we are producing?
This is how we usually work with agencies and production companies. We integrate into your running order and your production control; we do not contact your client without your consent; and our materials can be presented under your brand if your contract so provides.
Pyrotechnics and drones: do we have to choose?
No, and that’s actually where the most interesting creative work lies. The drones create the visuals and tell the story, whilst the pyrotechnics provide the impact and the grand finale. Both are designed in-house under the same artistic direction, which avoids having two contractors working side by side without communicating with one another.
How much does a drone light show cost?
A drone light show starts at 10,000 euros. The final cost depends on the number of drones, the duration of the choreography and the airspace restrictions at the venue. We will provide you with a rough estimate once the site has been assessed, before any detailed planning takes place.