Greg Zalkin: Conversations from the Inside: Ideas, Insights, and Resources for South Florida Amid COVID-19

Marketing, Special Events and Entrepreneurship have driven Greg Zalkin as long as he can remember.

Drawing on 4 generations of entrepreneurs before him, Greg first developed a passion for special events in 1996 when he landed a job in the White House, Office of Scheduling and Advance which led to a legislative assistant position and event manager in Congress.

Combining his entrepreneurial roots with his drive to produce experiences for a larger audience, Greg designed and built his own nightclub in 1998. Greg quickly built the venue into a destination for live music and other events and successfully sold the business with an appreciation for the work that goes into making each experience a memorable one for his guests.

In 2004, Greg launched Room Service Furniture and Event Rentals. From a newcomer in the Miami market to multiple successful locations in the US, Room Service quickly made its mark on an industry not used to the level of creativity, commitment and passion that Room Service brought to each engagement. Greg sold Room Service to AFR Furniture Rental in 2010 and continued to build AFR’s Special Event business over the next four years, opening 10 new markets and enjoying substantial growth each year.

While Greg enjoyed working with a dynamic team at AFR, his entrepreneurial spirit could not be contained and in 2014 Greg launched Creative State, a national experiential marketing agency.

With Creative State, Greg has developed the ideal platform to help brands forge emotional connections with audiences throughout the US. By leveraging his diverse industry experiences, Creative State has built an unrivaled team that celebrates their clients' tremendous successes; these client relationships have fueled Creative State to grow over 250% year over year since inception. While Greg has a lot to be proud of, his greatest reward comes from helping clients achieve unimaginable achievements by working with Creative State.

Greg Resides in Miami, FL with his wife and 3 young boys.