Here’s how the week will look. Below the table, you’ll find a detailed, although tentative, schedule of topics and speakers, also available as a PDF here. We’ll let you know ahead of time if there are changes to these schedules.
Week-at-a-Glance
Schedule
MONDAY: October 12th 2026
09:00 Official opening
Jorge Márquez, ISF Chariman
Ettore Contestabile, Honorary Chairman
Guest Speakers
Session Chairman: Jorge Márquez
10:00 2026-21E – The Origin of the Fallas and its Connection with Pyrotechnics – Marta Cristóbal and Jorge Guarro, Valencia, Spain
10:30 Break
Session 1
Session Chairman: Jorge Márquez
11:00 2026-09E REVISION OF THE EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 16261 “F4 FIREWORKS” NEW ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS – Pierre Thebault, Pyroconsultant Eurl, France 🇫🇷
11:30 2026-01E TRADITIONAL PYROTECHNICS IN MEDIEVAL FESTIVALS IN THE CATALAN-ARAGONESE CROWN: CULTURAL HERITAGE AND CONTEMPORARY REGULATION – Dr. Jordi Bertran Luengo, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain
12:00 2026-02CA BURSTCASTING: A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO AERIAL SHELL MANUFACTURE – Jim Widman, Connecticut Pyrotechnic Mfg. lnc. USA
12:30 Lunch
Session 2
Session Chairperson: Martyne Ganon
14:00 2026-02E AN INTEGRATED, PAPERLESS WORKFLOW FOR FIREWORKS SHOWS: RAPID INVENTORY-DRIVEN DESIGN, TEAM COLLABORATION, INTERNET TIME-CODE SYNCHRONIZATION ACROSS ANY DISTANCE, AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT – Laurian Antoci, Independent Researcher, Iași, Romania
14:30 2026-03CA WE’RE NOT PEELING POTATOES! ELECTRIC MATCHES, FIREWORKS and PEOPLE – Charles P. Weeth, Weeth & Associates, LLC, USA
15:00 2026-01M CRISTALLOGRAPHY AND ITS PIEZOELECTRIC PROPERTIES – Dr. Alan Casas Mendoza, Asociación de Pirotécnicos de México, México
15:30 Break
Session 3
Session Chairman: José Luis Giménez Clemente, Pirotecnia Vulcano S.L., President
16:00 2026-02M SUITABLE METALS FOR PYROTECHNIC MANUFACTURING PROCESSES – Eisler Saúl Oviedo Ortiz, Asociación de Pirotécnicos de México, Mexico
16:30 2026-03M EXPLOSION-PROOF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN PYROTECHNIC PROCESSES – Eisler Saúl Oviedo Ortiz, Asociación de Pirotécnicos de México, Mexico
17:00 2026-04M THE INFLUENCE OF MORPHOLOGY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FIREWORKS- Dr. Alan Casas Mendoza, Asociación de Pirotécnicos de México, Mexico
17:30 Close
TUESDAY: October 13th 2026
Session 4
Session Chairman: Nicolás Magán Oliva, Pyroadvise T.S., General and Technical Manager
09:30 2026-01J THE CHALLENGE OF TOY FIREWORKS IN STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATION OF JAPAN’S FIREWORKS CULTURE – Yoshimasa Inoue, INOUE TOY FIREWORKS MFG., CO., LTD. Japan
10:00 2026-03J FIREWORKS ACCIDENTS IN JAPAN IN 2024-2025 – Atsumi Miyake and Yuji Wada, Yokohama National University, Japan
10:30 Break
Session 5
Session Chairman: Jordi Brau, CIALFIR, Secretary
11:00 2026-04C COMPARISON OF CHINESE NATIONAL FIREWORKS STANDARD GB 10631-2025 WITH 2013 VERSION – Andy Tang, Tian Cheng Pyrotechnic Laboratory, China 🇨🇳
11:30 -2026-09CA The Quiet Hands Behind the Wonder – Nancy Rozzi
12:00 2026-05M FIVE GENERATIONS: PIROTECNIA MARIPOSA OF COLOMBIA – Alberto Felipe Peñalver & Charles P. Weeth, Pirotecnia Mariposa & Weeth & Associates, LLC, Colombia & USA 🇨🇴 🇺🇸
12:30 Lunch
Session 6
Session Chairman: Santiago López, Pirotecnia López S.L, Treasurer
14:00 2026-03E ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF PYROTECHNIC SOUND ON DOMESTIC ANIMALS – David León, Juan Casín, David Bolonio, Ángel Santamaría and Blanca Castells, Laboratorio Oficial J.M. Madariaga (LOM) Minas y Energía, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain
14:30 2026-05E RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAFETY DISTANCES FOR THEATRICAL (T1/T2) PYROTECHNIC ARTICLES – L.H. Polak, Y.G. Geertzema, P.H. Keijzer, P. Timmers, and S. Mahesh, RIVM, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Centre for Environmental Safety and Security, The Netherlands
15:00 2026-06E EVOLUTION OF ILLUMINATION – Sara Tóth, Hungary
15:30 Break
Session 7
Session Chairman: António Gamón, Plásticos Gamón S.L.
16:00 2026-04E DRY FIREWORKS, MUSICAL FIREWORKS – Between traditions, practices, and challenges – Dominique LAJEUNESSE, Personal, France 🇫🇷
16:30 2026-08E SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS GENERATED BY THE USE OF FIREWORKS – Ángel Santamaría Martín & Eric Kandel, Laboratorio Oficial J.M. Madariaga, Spain 🇪🇸
17:00 2026-01C STUDY ON FIREWORKS SHOT BY DRONES – Shixing Ouyang, Liuyang Ouyang Technology Trade Co., Ltd., China
17:30 Close
WEDNESDAY: October 14th 2026
Session 8
Session Chairman – Daid Bolonio Martin – Director LOM, Pyrotechnics and Explosives European Notified Body
09:30 2026-02USA USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PYROMUSICAL SHOW DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF A MEMORIAL PRODUCTION – Rich Bader, Personal, USA 🇺🇸
10:00 2026-08CA MULTI-SENSORY MODES OF ACCESS IN THE PYROTECHNIC ARTS: IMAGINING LIGHT THROUGH WORDS, TOUCH, AND RESONANCE – Collin van Uchelen, Ph.D. Personal, Canada 🇨🇦
10:30 Break
11:00 Moderated Sessions: Session Chairman, Professor Mitsuru Arai
- Pierre Thebault – European StandardEN 16261
- Collin van Uchelin – Accessible Pyromusical Events
- Andrew Tang – Global Environmental Concern Towards the Development of Green Fireworks
- Andy Tang – Comparison of China Fireworks Standards Recently Published with Previous Version
- Charles Weeth – Processing and Preparation – What is the Difference and Why?
- Rich Bader – Using Artificial Intelligence in Pyromusical Show Design – A Case Study
- Paul Marriott- The evolution of fireworks display design: past, present and future
- E. Contestabile – Are detonable materials being used in fireworks?
- Zach Gilbert – Wired for Safety; How Technology is Changing Pyrotechnic Show Safety
12:30 Close
THURSDAY: October 15th 2026
Session 9
Session Chairman: Jordi Brau Estrada, Secretary, AEPIRO, CEO, CIALFIR
09:30 2026-06CA USING FIRING SYSTEMS FOR DMX CONTROL – Will Harvey, Finale Fireworks, USA
10:00 2026-07CA THE FRACTURE TAX – THE FAILURE OF AUSTRALIA’S FRACTURED FIREWORKS REGULATIONS – Martin Brady, Fireworks Australia, Australia
10:30 Break
Session 10
Session Chairman: Andrew Tang
11:00 2026-04J FIREWORKS CULTURE IN OMAGARI: TECHNOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AMONG THE FOUR LEADING FIREWORKS COMPANIES – Rinon Kumekawa, Seirei Gakuen High School, Japan
11:30 2026-05CA TWENTY YEARS LATER – DOES TELEVISION REALLY NOT LOVE FIREWORKS? – Ion Kehagioglou, Personal, Greece
12:00 2026-02J Yasushi Saito, Omagari Hanabi Steering Committee, Japan
12:30 Lunch
Session 11
Session Chairman: Nicolas Magan Oliva – General manager and Technical Director, AEPIR, Owner – General Manager, Pyroadvice Technical Services, S.L.
14:00 2026-07E RAISE THE “FIRE” TO INTANGIBLE HERITAGE: PORTUGUESE PYROTECHNICS ART AS A CASE STUDY – Ana Cristina SOUSA, Diana FELÍCIA, Marisa PEREIRA SANTOS, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – University of Porto, Portugal
14:30 2026-05M FIVE GENERATIONS: PIROTECHNIA MARIPOSA OF COLOMBIA – Alberto Felipe Peñnalver, Colombia and Charles P. Weeth, USA
15:00 2026-07C GREEN TRANSFORMATION OF THE FIREWORKS AND FIRECRACKERS INDUSTRY DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE INDUSTRY IN LILING CITY – Shiliang Luo and Wenbo Cao, Liling Municipal People’s Government, China
15:30 Break
Session 12
Session Chairman: M Josée Lora Zamorano, President, PIROVAL, (Association of Pyrotechnics in Valencia)
16:00 2026-10E DOGS AND FIRECRACKERS: A BEHAVIORAL PROTOCOL FOR THE PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION OF NOISE FEAR IN COMPANION ANIMALS – Carlos Orozco García & Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Keiko Escuela Canina & Instinto Alpha Escuela Canina, Spain
16:30 2026-20E REACTIVITY CHARACTERIZATION OF Al-NiO THERMITE COMPOSITE – Ricardo Mendes, J. Pimenta, J. Góis, and J. Quaresma, University Coimbra, ADAI, Dep. of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal
17:00 2026-02C Study of Minimum Safety Distances for Fireworks Stipulated Differently in Various Fireworks Standards – Zhijian Peng, Tian Cheng Pyrotechnic Laboratory, China
17:30 Close
FRIDAY: October 16th 2026
Session 13
Session Chairman: Paul Cukassy
09:30 2026-12E FASCINATED FOR FIRE! TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL USE OF PYROTECHNICS IN CATALONIA – Roger Bernedo, ARS PIROTECNIA, S.L. Spain 🇪🇸
10:00 2026-14E HEALTH, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF FIREWORK USE IN EUROPE THE SPANISH CASE AS A CULTURAL AND REGULATORY MODEL OF SAFETY – Jordi Brau Estrada, CIALFIR SL. Spain 🇪🇸
10:30 Break
Session 14
Session Chairman: Santiago López Gonzáles – Vice President and Treasurer, AEPIRO, Owner- CEO, Pirotecnia López, S.L.
11:00 2026-03USA THE EXPO ’92 SEVILLA LAKE SHOW: ARTISTIC VISION DRIVING INNOVATION INMULTIMEDIA PYROTECHNICS – Alberto Navarro, Infinity Visions Inc. USA
11:30 2026-16E EVOLUTION OF PYROTECHNICS AND FIREWORKS IN VALENCIA, SPAIN FROM 1840 TO 1950 – Félix M. Goñi, Instituto Biofisika, and Donostia International Physics Center CSIC and University of the Basque Country, Spain
12:00 2026-17E THE PROTECTION OF FESTIVE AND RELIGIOUS EVENTS INVOLVING THE USE OF FIREWORKS IN SPAIN – Francesc Lleches Barber, IDELAB Ingeniería SL, Spain
12:30 ISF Official Closing