Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, and Foxwoods sits on sovereign Mashantucket Pequot land. Booth labor comes from your show's general contractor, and its kit sets what your staff may do.
Exhibitor guide · Mashantucket, CT · Updated
Foxwoods Resort Casino Exhibitor Guide
Foxwoods has two exhibit floors of about 47,000 sq ft each, at opposite ends of a resort in the woods: the Premier Ballroom in the Fox Tower and the renovated Rainmaker Expo Center. The resort sits on Mashantucket Pequot land, so the tribe's fire marshal, a tribal sales tax and a strict hand-carry policy all apply. Below: the rooms, the Lot 10 truck check-in, what your own staff may carry, and drayage.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: “Foxwoods Casino” by jjbers, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about Foxwoods Resort Casino
The resort's hand-carry policy bars exhibitors from pulling up to or unloading at the dock. Every vehicle, cars included, checks in at the Lot 10 marshaling yard first.
Items one person can carry, on a two-wheeled hand truck at most. Four-wheeled flat carts, bell carts and bell staff are not allowed, and hand-carry is supervised.
26′6″ at the lowest point in the Rainmaker Expo Center and 18 ft in the Celebrity Ballroom, per the resort's charts. Your show sets the booth height limit.
Photos: "130406-074 NCBA Championship Finals" by US Coast Guard Academy, Public domain Source · "hard rock @ foxwoods rocks" by tadekk, CC BY 2.0 Source · "Narragansett Trail's Lantern Hill view of Mashantucket Pequot Casino Resort." by morrowlong, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Only at Foxwoods
Exhibiting on Mashantucket Pequot land: what changes at Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods is owned and run by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on its reservation. For an exhibitor, that means the tribe's own fire marshal and permits, a tribal tax line on your contractor orders, and the resort's own freight rules on top of the show's.
| Topic | At Foxwoods |
|---|---|
| Fire marshal | Mashantucket Fire & Emergency Services' Office of the Fire Marshal, under the tribe's Fire Prevention Code (Title 3 of its Land Use Regulations). NFPA 101 has been adopted as tribal law |
| Vehicle on display | Needs a tribal fire inspection and an approval label inside the windshield. A 2023 Foxwoods kit capped fuel at 1/4 tank or 5 gallons, with one battery cable disconnected and taped |
| Pyrotechnics or special effects | A permit from the tribal Fire Chief, fired by someone holding a Connecticut certificate of competency |
| Tax on contractor orders | The 2023 Foxwoods kit charged “Tribal Tax 7.35%” on rentals; the same contractor's 2026 Mohegan Sun kit charges CT tax at 6.35% |
| Selling at your booth | Connecticut has ruled that state sales tax applies to the tribe's sales of imported goods to non-members, and the tribe added its own 1% tax at the resort in 2009. Ask show management which permit and return you need |
| Labor law | Connecticut is not right-to-work. The NLRB ran the 2007 dealers' union vote here, and their first contract (2010) was negotiated under tribal law. Show labor still comes through your general contractor |
| Loading dock | A restricted area. Exhibitors may not pull up or unload there; all vehicles check in at the Lot 10 marshaling yard |
Sources: Mashantucket Land Use Commission fire marshal pages and permit forms; Foxwoods hand-carry policy and Capital Convention Contractors' kit for the 2023 EMS & Fire Pro Expo at Foxwoods; Connecticut DRS Ruling 2002-3; Hartford Business Journal and NPR. Rules change, so check your own show kit.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels at Foxwoods Resort Casino
Above the ballrooms
The Fox Tower
823 rooms, including 137 suites. The resort calls it the hub for large events, with the Premier and Celebrity ballrooms in the same building.
Indoors
Grand Pequot Tower
808 rooms, suites and villas, AAA Four Diamond, with the six 10th-floor meeting rooms. The Tanger Outlets corridor links it to the Fox Tower.
Near Rainmaker
Great Cedar Hotel
317 rooms, including 41 suites, in the center of the resort. The quickest stay for a show in the Rainmaker Expo Center.
20 min by car
Amtrak at New London
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor stops at New London, about 20 minutes away. SEAT bus Route 108 runs from Union Station to the Great Cedar Hotel.
~41 / ~60 mi
T.F. Green (PVD) and Bradley (BDL)
The two closest airports with airline service. Groton-New London, about 14 miles away, is general aviation.
The resort's planning guide lists 1,948 rooms across its three hotels. Popular shows fill the block, so book when registration opens.
Ballrooms & exhibit space
Foxwoods floor plan: Premier Ballroom, Rainmaker Expo Center and Celebrity Ballroom
Foxwoods has no single convention hall. Trade shows use one of two big rooms at different ends of the resort, with the Celebrity Ballroom for smaller expos and breakouts. Tap a room for its size, ceiling and location.
Schematic. Widths are proportional to floor area; the three rooms are not connected and this is not an architectural plan. Official floor plans and capacity charts are on foxwoods.com/meetings.
Premier Ballroom
- 47,553 sq ft · 230′ × 210′
- 26 ft ceiling
- A–H sections
In the Fox Tower's meeting center. Divides into sections A–D (about 6,600–6,950 sq ft each) and E–H. The 12,120 sq ft Pre-Function 1 (14 ft ceiling) handles registration, with a Grand Terrace and Grand Lawn outside. The resort's website lists the room at 47,533 sq ft.
Rainmaker Expo Center
- 47,646 sq ft · 298′ × 157′
- 26′6″ at lowest point
- 280 8×10 booths
Renovated and reopened in January 2023, beside the Rainmaker Garage on the Great Cedar side of the resort. It has six registration counters, a 2,100 sq ft breakout room and the Expo Patio. The floor drawing says 47,075 sq ft and the website says 40,000, so confirm the usable area.
Celebrity Ballroom
- 15,024 sq ft · 125′ × 121′
- 18 ft ceiling
- A–K sections
Also in the Fox Tower, with about 10,000 sq ft of pre-function space. Good for a tabletop expo, a sponsor hall next to a Premier general session, or breakouts.
12,120sq ft Pre-Function 1 outside the Premier Ballroom (96′ × 310′, 14 ft ceiling) · registration and sponsor tables
7,124sq ft Grand Terrace and 5,961 sq ft Grand Lawn by the Premier Ballroom · outdoor receptions and displays
14,773sq ft glass Gathering Space at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, plus a 327-seat auditorium
8 ftceilings in the six 10th-floor rooms at the Grand Pequot Tower (743–1,274 sq ft) · meetings, not booths
11 ftceilings in the Fox Tower meeting rooms (Bravo, Encore, Spotlight, Red Carpet, Star Room, Boardroom)
Loading dock & move-in
Foxwoods loading dock and freight
Get directions to Foxwoods Resort Casino →
- Lot 10 firstAll drivers, personal vehicles included, check in with the general contractor at the Lot 10 marshaling yard, past the security checkpoint near the Fox Tower, to get dock access.
- Fox Tower dockThe 2023 kit sent direct freight to 302 Mushee Mahchaq – Fox Tower, the dock that serves the Premier and Celebrity ballrooms. Shows in the Rainmaker Expo Center may use a different door: check your kit.
- Personal vehiclesNo unloading at the dock yourself. Book the contractor's cart-load service for cars and vans, or be ready to transfer your load onto the contractor's truck.
- ParkingFree self-parking and valet. The Fox Tower, Grand Pequot, Great Cedar and Rainmaker garages each sit near a different event space.
- Day −60Design approved. Ask the tribal Fire Marshal early about vehicles, open flame or special effects.
- Day −35EAC notice and certificate of insurance to the general contractor (at least 30 days out). Power and internet ordered from Encore.
- Day −21Purple ships to Mashantucket through our carrier network.
- Day −7Advance warehouse deadline in your kit.
- Day 0Check in at Lot 10 for a dock time. Hand-carry goes through public entrances, supervised, with two-wheelers only.
- Show +1Move-out. Bill of lading at the service desk, carriers checked in before the deadline.
Labor & exhibitor rules
Foxwoods exhibitor rules: labor, hand-carry and exclusives
Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, and Foxwoods is tribal land. No single venue labor rulebook is published: the rules come from the resort's hand-carry policy and from each show's general contractor. These points come from the Foxwoods hand-carry policy and Capital Convention Contractors' kit for the 2023 EMS & Fire Pro Expo at Foxwoods. Your own kit is the final word.
✓What you can do
- Hand-carry items one person can easily carry, during set hours, on a two-wheeled hand truck at most
- Bring a car or van to Lot 10 and book cart-load service (2023: $129 advance for up to 10 cartons, round trip)
- Supervise your own booth, or name your own installer (EAC) in writing at least 30 days out
- Set up with your own full-time staff only if your kit says so: the 2023 Foxwoods kit did not spell this out, though the same contractor's 2026 kit at Mohegan Sun allows it
●The contractor and the resort
- All crates, skids and boxes ship in care of the general contractor, which handles the dock
- Electrical, plumbing, phone, cleaning and drayage go only to the official contractor
- Power, internet, AV and banner hanging are ordered from Encore, the resort's in-house provider (2023: 120V 5A shared at $228 advance)
- EACs file a certificate of insurance ($1M general liability, $1M workers' comp) and agree to follow union rules
- Material handling overtime: weekdays before 8 a.m. and after 4:30 p.m., all weekend and union holidays (2023 kit)
!Not allowed
- Unloading at the dock, or pulling up to it
- Four-wheeled flat carts for hand-carry
- Hotel bell carts or bell staff to move booth material
- Freight through the lobby or other public areas
- Storage behind the booth back wall; more than a one-day supply of literature
- Non-flame-retardant drapes, banners and signs (small signs under 28″ × 44″ excepted)
Background photo: "Foxwoods Casino" by markcbrennan, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Free tool
Foxwoods drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 at about $115 per hundredweight, a regional Connecticut rate below the big-city halls. Foxwoods publishes no tariff; your general contractor's kit carries the real rate, which changes by contractor. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$1,725
Cut this with a lighter booth
A full house at the MGM Grand Theater
Photo: "Ovation" by Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
The calendar
Foxwoods trade shows 2026–2027
Foxwoods draws New England association conferences, regional industry expos and company sales shows, but few post dates publicly. The shows below are confirmed on the resort's exhibitor-ordering calendar or the organizer's own site. Confirm dates and rooms with each organizer.
Shot Peening Workshop
Manufacturing, surface treatment · Electronics Inc. · 2026
New England Practice Management Conference
Accounting firm management, with exhibit hall · New England Society of CPAs · 2026
Northeast Storage EXPO
Self-storage industry · Rainmaker Expo Center · 2027
Regional association conferences use the ballrooms in spring and fall, from tabletop shows up to the Rainmaker Expo Center's 280 booths. Held here in 2026: the PIA Connecticut conference (March 19–20), the NETSA Annual Trade Show & Convention for tire dealers (April 10–11, 50+ vendors), the CT-PHCC Annual Tradeshow & Convention in the Rainmaker Expo Center (April 18), SNEAPA, the Southern New England planning conference (Oct 8–9), and the W. B. Mason Annual Sales Convention & Trade Show (Oct 14); their 2027 dates and venues were not posted when we checked. The EMS & Fire Pro Expo, held at Foxwoods in 2023, moved to Mohegan Sun for 2026.
The resort
From a bingo hall to a resort in the woods
The Mashantucket Pequots opened a bingo hall on their reservation in 1986. Today the resort has three hotels, two theaters and two 47,000 sq ft exhibit floors, all set in forest.
- 1986The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opens a bingo hall on July 5, one of the first Native American gaming halls in the country.
- 1992Foxwoods opens as a casino on February 15, with the Great Cedar Hotel.
- 1997The Grand Pequot Tower opens.
- 1998The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center opens on August 11, about a mile from the resort.
- 2007Table-games dealers vote to join the UAW in an NLRB election. Their first contract, in 2010, is the first union contract negotiated under tribal law.
- 2008The $700 million MGM Grand at Foxwoods opens May 17, with 825 rooms and suites and a 4,000-seat theater. The building now holds the Premier and Celebrity ballrooms.
- 2013MGM and Foxwoods part ways, and the tribe renames the building The Fox Tower.
- 2015Tanger Outlets opens inside the resort, linking the Fox Tower and the Grand Pequot Tower.
- 2023The renovated Rainmaker Expo Center reopens in January for trade shows, sports and events.
Insider tips
Foxwoods exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Find out which room first
The Premier Ballroom (Fox Tower) and the Rainmaker Expo Center are at opposite ends of the resort, with different garages, hotels and possibly docks. Put the room name on your bill of lading, your hotel booking and your parking plan.
Pack a two-wheeler, not a cart
The hand-carry policy allows two-wheeled hand trucks only. Four-wheeled flat carts and hotel bell carts are not allowed, so pack small kits into cases one person can roll.
Every car stops at Lot 10
Even a minivan checks in at the Lot 10 marshaling yard, and you cannot unload at the dock yourself. Book cart-load service in advance; trailers and straight trucks carried a two-person, one-hour labor minimum in the 2023 kit.
Budget the tribal tax line
The 2023 Foxwoods kit added “Tribal Tax 7.35%” to furniture, carpet and other rentals, a point higher than Connecticut's 6.35%. No newer rate is published, so check the order forms in your own kit. If you plan to sell at your booth, ask show management about permits before you arrive.
Clear vehicles with the tribe's fire marshal
A car, boat or truck on display needs a Mashantucket fire inspection and an approval label in the windshield. Effects or pyro need a tribal permit and a Connecticut-certified operator, so start that paperwork weeks ahead.
Order power from Encore early
At Foxwoods, booth power, internet, AV and banner hanging came from Encore, the resort's in-house provider, and the 2023 advance rates needed orders at least 7 days ahead.
FAQ
Foxwoods Resort Casino FAQ for exhibitors
How much exhibit space does Foxwoods have?
More than 175,000 sq ft of meeting and event space. The two exhibit floors are the Premier Ballroom (47,553 sq ft on the capacity chart, 230 × 210 ft, 26 ft ceiling) and the Rainmaker Expo Center (47,646 sq ft on the chart, 298 × 157 ft, 280 booths at 8 × 10). The 15,024 sq ft Celebrity Ballroom handles smaller expos.
Is Foxwoods union for trade show labor?
Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, and Foxwoods sits on Mashantucket Pequot tribal land. Booth labor is supplied by your show's general contractor, and in the 2023 Foxwoods kit, exhibitor-appointed contractors had to agree to follow union rules. Check your own kit for what your staff may do.
Can I set up my own booth at Foxwoods?
You can always supervise, and you can name your own installer in writing at least 30 days before the show. Whether your own full-time staff may build the booth is set by your show's contractor: the 2023 Foxwoods kit did not say, so ask before you plan a self-build.
Can I hand-carry or unload my own vehicle?
You can hand-carry items one person can easily carry, on a two-wheeled hand truck at most, during set hours and under supervision. You cannot unload at the loading dock yourself. Check in at Lot 10 and book the contractor's cart-load service for car and van loads.
Where is the Foxwoods loading dock?
Trucks check in at the Lot 10 marshaling yard near the Fox Tower and are given dock times there. The 2023 kit sent direct freight to 302 Mushee Mahchaq – Fox Tower, Mashantucket, CT 06338. Confirm the dock for a Rainmaker Expo Center show in your kit.
How much is drayage at Foxwoods?
Plan about $115 per hundredweight for crated freight in 2026. The rate depends on your show's contractor; the 2023 Foxwoods kit listed $89 per cwt crated and $111 for special handling, with a 200 lb minimum.
Who is the fire marshal at Foxwoods?
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation's Fire & Emergency Services, under the tribe's own fire prevention code. It inspects and approves display vehicles and issues special-effects permits. Drapes, signs and booth materials must be flame-retardant.
Do I pay sales tax on show orders at Foxwoods?
Expect a tax line. The 2023 Foxwoods kit charged a 7.35% tribal tax on contractor rentals; no newer rate is published, so check the order forms in your kit. If you sell products at your booth, ask show management how Connecticut and tribal sales tax are collected for your event.
Who supplies electrical and internet at Foxwoods?
Encore, the resort's in-house audiovisual provider, took booth power, internet, AV and banner-hanging orders in the 2023 kit. Order before the advance deadline to get the lower rate.
How do I get to Foxwoods?
Foxwoods is about 41 miles from T.F. Green (PVD) and 60 miles from Bradley (BDL). Amtrak stops at New London, about 20 minutes away, and parking at the resort is free.
Exhibiting at Foxwoods?
Ready for show week? Send us the details.
Tell us whether your show is in the Premier Ballroom or the Rainmaker Expo Center, and whether anything needs the tribal fire marshal's sign-off. Within two business days we send a design that moves through Lot 10 and the hand-carry rules, a drayage estimate and a move-in plan. Purple ships and installs from New York for shows across the region.
Background photo: "Mystic, Connecticut" by *rboed*, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Foxwoods Resort Casino vs other venues within a drive of New York
How the Foxwoods Resort Casino stacks up against other venues within a drive of New York. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foxwoods Resort CasinoThis guide | Resort ballrooms | 47,553 sq ft Premier Ballroom | 26 ft | Tribal land · check kit | ≈ $115/cwt | PVD · 41 mi |
| Connecticut Convention CenterHartford | Convention center | 140,000 sq ft · Halls A + B | 32 ft | Union · 3-employee rule | ≈ $100/cwt | BDL · 15 mi |
| MJN Convention CenterPoughkeepsie | Convention center | 15,475 sq ft Mair Hall · 130 booths | 25 ft 5 in | Check show kit | ≈ $115/cwt | SWF · ~25 mi |
| Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention CenterUncasville | Resort expo center | 112,108 sq ft Earth Expo Center | 22–30 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $120/cwt | PVD · 51 mi |
| Rhode Island Convention CenterProvidence | Convention center | 100,000 sq ft exhibit hall, Halls A–D | 30 ft | Union · Local 271 | ≈ $140/cwt | PVD · ~10 mi |
| Westchester County CenterWhite Plains | Expo center | 26,720 sq ft Main Hall | 42 ft Main Hall · 10.8 ft Exhibit Hall | Self-setup OK · check kit | ≈ $95/cwt | HPN · ~5 mi |
More guides near New York
Other venues near Foxwoods
Mohegan SunUncasville, CT
Connecticut Convention CenterHartford, CT
Rhode Island Convention CenterProvidence, RI
Westchester County CenterWhite Plains, NY
MJN Convention CenterPoughkeepsie, NY
Javits CenterNew York, NY
Boston Convention & Exhibition CenterBoston, MA
MassMutual CenterSpringfield, MA
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: Foxwoods Meetings + Events planning guides (2025 and 2026), capacity charts and floor plans, property fact sheet and property map; Foxwoods meetings and getting-here pages; Capital Convention Contractors exhibitor service manual and Foxwoods hand-carry policy for the 2023 EMS & Fire Pro Expo at Foxwoods; the same contractor's 2026 kit for the expo at Mohegan Sun; Encore Global exhibitor ordering calendar for Foxwoods; Mashantucket Land Use Commission fire marshal pages and permit forms; Connecticut DRS Ruling 2002-3; The Meeting Magazines (Rainmaker reopening, 2023); Hartford Business Journal, NPR and indianz.com; Wikipedia (Foxwoods Resort Casino); NeSSA, Tire Review (NETSA) and PIA Connecticut event pages.