Everyone’s talking about Elevate Expo 2026, and for good reason. This episode of Pyro Talk sits down with Scott Smith, Cobra Zach, and Jonathan McCormick to break down what’s coming next—and why Elevate is quickly becoming a must-attend event in the fireworks and special effects world.

We dig into the name change from Cobra Con to Elevate, what that shift really means, and how the show has expanded with new elements, more hands-on experiences, and a stronger industry-wide focus. The crew also talks about year two of the Elevate competition, what they learned from year one, and how it’s evolving to better challenge and showcase shooters, designers, and technicians.

Plus, we get into some tech talk—including an update about what’s coming with the 18R3 remote and how it fits into the broader vision for firing systems and show control moving forward.

If you’re wondering why everyone’s talking about Elevate 2026, this episode lays it all out—straight from the people building it.

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