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Celebrating the "Event-Full" Career of Mark Galstaun

In 2024, Mark Galstaun, Vice President of Utility Services, celebrated 45 years in the trade show industry as well as his 25th anniversary with Edlen Electrical.

One could say that the event industry was part of Mark’s DNA – his dad was a drama professor at the University of Washington while his mother co-founded the Seattle Civic Light Opera Company (currently known as the Seattle Musical Theatre). During Mark’s high school and college days, he worked with his father building sets and lighting shows. In 1972, Mark’s dad had the opportunity to take a sabbatical, so the entire family went off to live in the UK, where Mark got an accelerated British education, played rugby and explored London and its surrounding areas, soaking up the culture, adventure and cuisine.

After returning to Seattle and graduating high school, he moved to Aspen to be a “ski bum” but returned home to help care for his mother after she was diagnosed with cancer. He also returned to school to study technical theatre and stage lighting, then worked in a high-impact hammer shop at the Boeing Company for three years. During this time, Mark saved enough money to finance his trip around the world in 1979/1980. On a shoestring budget – think backpacks, youth hostels and no cell phones – he and a buddy went looking for and finding adventure across Europe and Asia. They completed a 65-mile trek through the Annapurna mountain range of Nepal, saw the Taj Majal during a full moon, went body surfing on the beaches of Goa, India, and watched the sunrise over the stupa temples of Pagan, Myanmar.

Once again home in Washington, he was flat broke and looking for work. A friend of his worked for Rowan Northwestern Decorators, a local trade show decorator that was an incubator for a ton of local event talent. Mark recalls landing his first industry job with no experience because, “I had a pen.” (When he arrived at the loading dock to ask the foreman, Chris Lee, about available work, Chris needed a pen, and Mark had one.) Of course, his background in stage lighting was a plus, so they made him an electrician. This was before the State of Washington required electrical licenses to perform this sort of work. Mark met and learned both craft and science from the electrical manager, Bud Zabelle, who became his mentor. There, he experienced how every day was different, every event was different, the long hours were exhausting, but the camaraderie of working together with a team of people who were passionate about making the event happen was a powerful force. The people changed, the industry changed, but the excitement and energy in this business is hard to beat once you get it into your blood.

Mark spent over six years at Rowan, then was hired as the first employee for a new, start-up company – Tradeshow Convention Services. Rowan had never had any competition, and the new trade show company in town quickly stole the majority of work in just a few short years. Based on top-notch service and new equipment, TCS became the dominant decorator in the Northwest. Mark secured contracts with the Microsoft Corporation in the early 90’s, and toured on five national road shows before TCS was awarded the electrical contract at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. By this time, GES had purchased Rowan, and the trade show business changed dramatically in the Seattle area, with the beginning of union representation with the carpenters and IBEW. TCS was purchased by GES, and Mark left the company.

In 1999, after a short stint as an electrical contractor doing residential and light commercial work, Mark was approached by Jim Wetterling to open a Seattle branch for Edlen.

Edlen hadn’t yet established a customer base in Seattle, and the branch needed to be built from the ground up. Mark opened the office and immediately secured the electrical contract at the Stadium Exhibition Center (now Lumen Field Event Center), where Edlen built a reputation on excellent service and safety. A few years passed, and Edlen added the Lynnwood Convention Center to its list of exclusives and in 2007 was awarded the contract for the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (now the Seattle Convention Center). With three exclusives, the Seattle office quickly became a gem in the Edlen crown.

Later in his Edlen career, Mark helped to open the Portland market, starting with the Portland Expo Center in 2019 and the Oregon Convention Center in 2022, where he spent a great portion of his time helping to build great teams for each venue.

After 45 years in the business, most trade shows just aren’t that challenging, and Mark’s favorite events were large-scale corporate events, sporting events, and concerts. Over the years he has worked on several NCAA Final Four Basketball Championships, the 1990 Goodwill Games, three NFC Championship Games with the Seahawks, two Major League Baseball All-Star Games, Winston Cup NASCAR Races in Tacoma and a couple of Formula E Auto Races in Portland, as well as concerts such as the Rolling Stones, U2, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, and Cold Play to name a few. From product launches around the country with Microsoft, to working on movie sets with Warner Bros, to photo shoots with Sports Illustrated, it was the variety of events and the fact the every day was different that kept him engaged for so long. Mark has endured decades of show in, shows out, crazy schedules with late nights and early mornings, running days in a row on coffee and adrenaline. He has seen tens of thousands of events, hundreds of thousands of exhibitors and made an infinite number of memories. It was a tough lifestyle, but the hard work paid off for both Mark and Edlen.

Mark is finally going to step back from day-to-day work and spend time with his daughter and grandson and take many vacations to make up for those he missed because of business requirements. Reflecting on his career, Mark said, “This business isn’t for everyone. Long hours, high stress, working most weekends, deadlines one after another… But I will say it was an interesting career that I wouldn’t have traded for anything!”

 

Celebrating the "Event-Full" Career of Mark Galstaun

In 2024, Mark Galstaun, Vice President of Utility Services, celebrated 45 years in the trade show industry as well as his 25th anniversary with Edlen Electrical.

One could say that the event industry was part of Mark’s DNA – his dad was a drama professor at the University of Washington while his mother co-founded the Seattle Civic Light Opera Company (currently known as the Seattle Musical Theatre). During Mark’s high school and college days, he worked with his father building sets and lighting shows. In 1972, Mark’s dad had the opportunity to take a sabbatical, so the entire family went off to live in the UK, where Mark got an accelerated British education, played rugby and explored London and its surrounding areas, soaking up the culture, adventure and cuisine.

After returning to Seattle and graduating high school, he moved to Aspen to be a “ski bum” but returned home to help care for his mother after she was diagnosed with cancer. He also returned to school to study technical theatre and stage lighting, then worked in a high-impact hammer shop at the Boeing Company for three years. During this time, Mark saved enough money to finance his trip around the world in 1979/1980. On a shoestring budget – think backpacks, youth hostels and no cell phones – he and a buddy went looking for and finding adventure across Europe and Asia. They completed a 65-mile trek through the Annapurna mountain range of Nepal, saw the Taj Majal during a full moon, went body surfing on the beaches of Goa, India, and watched the sunrise over the stupa temples of Pagan, Myanmar.

Once again home in Washington, he was flat broke and looking for work. A friend of his worked for Rowan Northwestern Decorators, a local trade show decorator that was an incubator for a ton of local event talent. Mark recalls landing his first industry job with no experience because, “I had a pen.” (When he arrived at the loading dock to ask the foreman, Chris Lee, about available work, Chris needed a pen, and Mark had one.) Of course, his background in stage lighting was a plus, so they made him an electrician. This was before the State of Washington required electrical licenses to perform this sort of work. Mark met and learned both craft and science from the electrical manager, Bud Zabelle, who became his mentor. There, he experienced how every day was different, every event was different, the long hours were exhausting, but the camaraderie of working together with a team of people who were passionate about making the event happen was a powerful force. The people changed, the industry changed, but the excitement and energy in this business is hard to beat once you get it into your blood.

Mark spent over six years at Rowan, then was hired as the first employee for a new, start-up company – Tradeshow Convention Services. Rowan had never had any competition, and the new trade show company in town quickly stole the majority of work in just a few short years. Based on top-notch service and new equipment, TCS became the dominant decorator in the Northwest. Mark secured contracts with the Microsoft Corporation in the early 90’s, and toured on five national road shows before TCS was awarded the electrical contract at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. By this time, GES had purchased Rowan, and the trade show business changed dramatically in the Seattle area, with the beginning of union representation with the carpenters and IBEW. TCS was purchased by GES, and Mark left the company.

In 1999, after a short stint as an electrical contractor doing residential and light commercial work, Mark was approached by Jim Wetterling to open a Seattle branch for Edlen.

Edlen hadn’t yet established a customer base in Seattle, and the branch needed to be built from the ground up. Mark opened the office and immediately secured the electrical contract at the Stadium Exhibition Center (now Lumen Field Event Center), where Edlen built a reputation on excellent service and safety. A few years passed, and Edlen added the Lynnwood Convention Center to its list of exclusives and in 2007 was awarded the contract for the Washington State Convention and Trade Center (now the Seattle Convention Center). With three exclusives, the Seattle office quickly became a gem in the Edlen crown.

Later in his Edlen career, Mark helped to open the Portland market, starting with the Portland Expo Center in 2019 and the Oregon Convention Center in 2022, where he spent a great portion of his time helping to build great teams for each venue.

After 45 years in the business, most trade shows just aren’t that challenging, and Mark’s favorite events were large-scale corporate events, sporting events, and concerts. Over the years he has worked on several NCAA Final Four Basketball Championships, the 1990 Goodwill Games, three NFC Championship Games with the Seahawks, two Major League Baseball All-Star Games, Winston Cup NASCAR Races in Tacoma and a couple of Formula E Auto Races in Portland, as well as concerts such as the Rolling Stones, U2, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, and Cold Play to name a few. From product launches around the country with Microsoft, to working on movie sets with Warner Bros, to photo shoots with Sports Illustrated, it was the variety of events and the fact the every day was different that kept him engaged for so long. Mark has endured decades of show in, shows out, crazy schedules with late nights and early mornings, running days in a row on coffee and adrenaline. He has seen tens of thousands of events, hundreds of thousands of exhibitors and made an infinite number of memories. It was a tough lifestyle, but the hard work paid off for both Mark and Edlen.

Mark is finally going to step back from day-to-day work and spend time with his daughter and grandson and take many vacations to make up for those he missed because of business requirements. Reflecting on his career, Mark said, “This business isn’t for everyone. Long hours, high stress, working most weekends, deadlines one after another… But I will say it was an interesting career that I wouldn’t have traded for anything!”

"Edlen is a family-owned business with a tight-knit culture, which has remained in place since the opening of our first office in Miami, Florida over 45 years ago.  Today Edlen has 24 offices nationwide, and we are always looking for team members who are customer-oriented, enthusiastic and have the desire to learn and grow.   Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with electricity--we have an excellent training program that will give you the tools to be an exceptional and valued member of the Edlen Team."

- James Wetterling, President and CEO -

"Working at Edlen is an unbelievably rewarding experience. Throughout my more than 25 years with the company, I've seen such a wide variety of trade shows, concerts and special events, produced from the ground up. Every day brings its own challenges, which always keeps you wanting to learn more about the industry. The entire Edlen team is amazing, and truly makes you feel like family. I couldn't imagine my life without them!"

Jason Stewart, Operations Manager, San Antonio

Why Edlen?

  • Competitive compensation and benefits packages
  • Financial wellness benefits, including a retirement plan
  • Commitment to employee professional development and education
  • Leave benefits such as paid time off and sick leave
  • High employee retention
  • Team building events and retreats
  • Celebration of employee achievements and service through recognition programs
  • Commitment to community outreach by supporting a variety of non-profit organizations
  • Work environment emphasizing service, safety, and diversity
  • Opportunity to travel and work at locations across the United States
  • And most of all...it's a fun place full of great people!

Edlen is an equal opportunity employer and will not unlawfully discriminate against qualified applicants or team members with respect to any terms or conditions of employment based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, military service status, union/non-union activity, citizenship status, or other characteristics protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. This includes compliance with all federal, state, and local laws providing for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all aspects of the employment process and the requirement to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with those laws.

Current Opportunities

We are always looking for energetic and talented professionals who would like to join our team. If you wish to be considered for any current or future positions, please click here or send your resume to careers@edlen.com to view current openings or to be considered for future positions.