Fireworks and drone light shows for symposiums.
Opening plenary, gala dinner, closing evening: we design and produce the show for your symposium, from fireworks synchronised to music to a drone flight that writes the event’s name in the sky. For corporate, academic and institutional symposiums, in France and abroad.
- 1,000 shows produced
- Flights authorised by the DGAC
- Present in more than 20 countries
- We’ll get back to you within 48 hours
A symposium programme and when we step in.
A symposium usually runs over one to three days. Here is a typical two-day programme, and the three moments when we step in.
Day 1, 9 am
The opening plenary
Welcome speeches before the full room. A burst of cold sparks or a confetti curtain marks the start of proceedings, within the limits set by the venue’s safety officer.
Day 1, 2 pm
Sessions and workshops
Talks, panel discussions, workshops in parallel rooms. Meanwhile, our teams set up the evening installation.
Day 1, 10.30 pm
The gala dinner
As guests leave the table: fireworks synchronised to music chosen with you, or a drone light show that writes the symposium’s name in front of all participants.
Day 2, 5 pm
The closing session
Summary of the proceedings and announcement of the next edition. A short stage effect accompanies the announcement of the host city or date.
Times are indicative: we fit the set-up to your programme, your venue and the number of participants.
Corporate and academic symposiums.
We produce the show for organisers of professional symposiums: companies, federations, schools and institutions. For each one, we start from the venue, the number of participants and the time set in the programme.
- Engineering
- Energy
- Digital
- Aerospace
- Industry
- Finance
- Architecture and urban planning
- Universities and higher education
- International organisations
The symposium name or logo in the sky
A swarm of drone lights writes the event’s name, the organiser’s logo or the edition number above the dinner venue.
A finale followed by guests from several countries
The show relies on music and images: it can be followed without an interpreter, whatever language the participants speak.
A time kept to the programme
Firing starts at the time printed in the programme. Our stage manager stays in contact with the organiser and moves the start by a few minutes if dinner runs late.
Three disciplines for a symposium.
Depending on the symposium venue and the moment chosen, we combine or separate three disciplines, produced by our own teams. You sign a single contract.
I
Fireworks
Fired in the grounds of the reception venue or from an open site, synchronised to your music, for the gala dinner or the closing evening.
II
Drone light show
From 200 to more than 2,000 drones. They draw the organiser’s logo, the symposium name or the edition number, without detonation, for noise-sensitive venues.
III
Indoor special effects
Cold sparks, heavy fog, stage flames and confetti are designed for enclosed spaces, both the plenary hall and the dinner room, and set with the venue’s safety officer.
Six moments for the show at a symposium.
We choose the effect according to the moment in the programme and the venue hosting the symposium.
Opening plenary
The first speech before the full room. Cold effects on stage, triggered on a cue from the venue’s sound desk.
Gala dinner
The moment when all participants are together. Fireworks or a drone show as guests leave the table, in the grounds or on a terrace.
Closing evening
After the summary of proceedings, a shorter finale announces the city or date of the next edition.
Anniversary edition
Tenth or twentieth edition: the drones write the number in the sky, then a pyrotechnic finale ends the sequence.
Symposium in a château
The grounds allow firing from the lawn. We set the distances to buildings, trees and guests with the estate manager.
Symposium in a convention centre
Indoor effects in the auditorium, fireworks or drones on the forecourt or a nearby site when the prefecture and the DGAC authorise them. We prepare this show in a convention centre with the venue’s technical team.
Is your symposium being held outside France? Our teams work in more than 20 countries.
From booking the venue to the night of the show.
Allow three to six months between the first discussion and the night of the show. Authorisation for a fireworks display takes at least one month, and for a drone flight at least 45 days.
01
The programme and the venue
You send us the draft programme, the venue address and the number of participants.
02
Choosing the moment
Opening, gala or closing: we propose the moment and the discipline that suit the venue.
03
Site visit
Visit with the venue manager, calculation of the safety perimeters and the drone take-off area.
04
Authorisations
Declarations to the prefecture and town hall for the fireworks, an authorisation request to the DGAC for the drones.
05
Rehearsal
Timing to the music and to the programme schedule, testing of indoor effects with the safety officer.
06
The night of the show
Our control desk follows the running order live, in contact with the organiser, the venue and the emergency services.
Authorisations and show safety.
Our pyrotechnicians hold the qualification certificate required for category F4 fireworks and theatrical pyrotechnic articles, under decree no. 2010-455 of 4 May 2010. For drones, we operate in the specific category of European Regulation 2019/947, with DGAC authorisation. We prepare the declarations, coordinate with the emergency services and secure the perimeter; we carry operational responsibility for the show.
- F4-certified pyrotechnicians
- Drones: DGAC authorisation
- ICPE-licensed storage facility
- Declarations and coordination of emergency services
Design, production and control by our own teams.
Celesta designs, produces and runs its shows with its own teams. The symposium organiser has a single contact, from proposal to dismantling.
One contact for the organiser and the venue
We deal directly with the manager of the convention centre, hotel or château, and with the agency organising your symposium if you have one.
A licensed depot in Aigremont
Our fireworks are prepared and stored at our ICPE-licensed depot in Aigremont, in the Yvelines.
Teams that travel abroad
Our teams work in more than 20 countries, in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Shows in parks and estates.
A royal park, a château, a reception garden: three venues comparable to those hosting a symposium evening.
Drone light shows
Marly-le-Roi Town Festival 2026: Drones and Fireworks
250 drones in dialogue with fireworks, in the grounds of the Domaine royal de Marly, on 13 June 2026.
Fireworks
Musical Evening at Chantilly Castle
A concert followed by fireworks, fired in front of Chantilly castle.
Fireworks
Private dinner at the Cazeaudehore restaurant
A reception in a wooded garden, ending with fireworks fired between the trees.
Preparing the show for your symposium.
Send us the programme, the venue and the number of participants. We will get back to you within 48 hours with a costed proposal and an artistic approach, with no obligation.
Your questions about a symposium show.
When should the fireworks or drones take place during a symposium?
Most often as guests leave the gala dinner, when all participants are together. The opening plenary suits indoor effects, and the closing session a short finale announcing the next edition.
Can the drones write the symposium name or the organiser’s logo?
Yes. We draw the logo, the event name or the edition number from your files. The number of drones, from 200 to more than 2,000, partly determines the detail of the drawing.
Can we plan an effect in the plenary hall?
Yes, with effects designed for indoor use: cold sparks, heavy fog, stage flames, confetti. We choose them with the safety officer of the convention centre or hotel, who sets what the room accepts: detectors, capacity, exits.
How much does a symposium show cost?
A drone light show starts at €10,000. The cost of a fireworks display depends on the set-up and the site: we price it after studying the venue and send you the proposal within 48 hours.
How far ahead should we plan?
Three to six months for a bespoke show. Authorisation takes at least one month for fireworks and at least 45 days for a drone flight: contact us as soon as the venue is booked.
Do you work with the agency organising the symposium?
Yes. We work directly for the organiser or alongside the conference agency managing the programme. Either way, we handle the show from design to dismantling.
What happens if it is windy on the night of the dinner?
For drones, we agree a wind threshold and a back-up slot with you: above the threshold, the drones stay on the ground and the flight moves to the planned slot.
Do you work on symposiums abroad?
Yes, our teams work in more than 20 countries, in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In Switzerland, we work with a local partner who holds the firing permits.