Exhibitor guide · Las Vegas, Nevada
Mandalay Bay Convention Center: the exhibitor's guide
One of the largest single-level exhibit floors in the country, attached to three hotels and ten minutes from the airport. No freight elevators, no outdoor lots, MGM's rulebook, and a Formula 1 race outside the door every November.
Mandalay Bay · 3950 Las Vegas Blvd SHero photo: "Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada" by Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, share-alike, via Flickr. Source
Why this page exists
Mandalay Bay is the venue for shows that want everything under one roof: exhibit halls, keynote arena, ballrooms and 4,700 rooms without crossing a street. IMEX America, Black Hat, Cosmoprof and the spring MAGIC run here.
It is an MGM Resorts property, which means MGM's in-house services, MGM's dock rules, and a location that is closest to the airport and farthest from the LVCC. Since 2023 it also sits inside the Formula 1 footprint every November. This guide covers what all of that changes for your booth, and it has a travel-time planner because "how far is it" is the first question every Mandalay Bay exhibitor asks.
- The halls, the arena and the South Convention Center
- Travel-time planner
- History
- Labor, exclusives and freight rules
- Drayage estimator
- Freight countdown and the F1 window
- What a Mandalay Bay show week looks like
- Shows at Mandalay Bay
- Hotels, the tram, crew logistics
- The south Strip in pictures
- Free resources you can link to
- FAQ
The building
The halls, the arena and the South Convention Center
The exhibit floor is one level, which is the venue's biggest advantage: no freight elevators, no bridges between halls, and a dock wall along the east side.
| Space | What it is | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayside exhibit halls A–F | Six contiguous ground-floor halls, from under 50,000 to over 170,000 sq ft each, with dock doors along the east wall; exact clear heights are on the venue's hall plans. | IMEX America, Cosmoprof, MAGIC, Black Hat business hall | Straight dock-to-booth freight. Column spacing is generous; islands are easy. Confirm ceiling height for hanging signs by hall. |
| South Convention Center | The 2016 addition: the Oceanside Ballroom (about 100,000 sq ft) and meeting rooms. | General sessions, corporate events | Carpeted ballroom rules: floor protection, lighter builds, no forklifts inside. |
| Mandalay Bay Ballroom and Level 2–3 meeting rooms | Ballrooms and breakout rooms above the halls, plus the Shoreline and Islander rooms. | Black Hat briefings, medical meetings | Sponsor tables and small displays; power ordered per room. |
| Michelob Ultra Arena | 12,000-seat arena attached to the convention center. | Keynotes, awards, IMEX evening events | Arena rigging is a separate vendor with separate deadlines. |
Free tool
Mandalay Bay travel-time planner
Typical times outside show-week traffic. Pick two points. During CES, SEMA and Formula 1 week, double the driving figures.
History
A resort that built its own convention center
Mandalay Bay was built on the site of the Hacienda, one of the original Strip hotels, and its convention center was added four years later to catch shows too big for hotel ballrooms and too small for the LVCC.
The Hacienda opens at the far south end of the Strip, for decades the first hotel visitors see driving in from California.
The Hacienda is imploded on New Year's Eve, live on television, to clear the site.
Mandalay Bay opens in March, built by Circus Circus Enterprises, which renames itself Mandalay Resort Group. The Four Seasons occupies the top floors; the wave pool and beach open behind the tower.
The Mandalay Bay Convention Center opens in January with about 1.7 million sq ft, at the time the fifth-largest in the country.
MGM Mirage buys Mandalay Resort Group for $7.9 billion; the center becomes MGM's flagship convention property.
A 350,000 sq ft expansion adds the South Convention Center and the Oceanside Ballroom, taking the campus past 2 million sq ft.
Allegiant Stadium opens across Interstate 15, putting an NFL stadium and its event calendar next door.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix brings Formula 1 to the Strip each November; road closures now shape move-in schedules for shows in that window.
IMEX America, Black Hat USA, Cosmoprof North America, the spring MAGIC, Groceryshop and Shoptalk anchor the calendar.
Rules of the floor
Labor, exclusives and freight rules
Las Vegas unions, MGM house rules
Teamsters Local 631 for material handling, IATSE Local 720 for rigging and AV. Full-time employees can generally set up small booths with hand tools. EAC forms go to the show and to MGM, with a certificate naming the resort.
MGM in-house services
Rigging, electrical, internet, plumbing, cleaning and catering are handled by MGM's in-house teams and exclusive partners. No outside riggers or electricians.
Dock wall on the east side
Docks run along the east of the halls off Mandalay Bay Road, with the marshaling yard set by the show contractor. One level means advance-warehouse freight is on the booth fast; direct-to-show still waits its turn.
No outdoor exhibit space
Unlike the LVCC there are no outdoor exhibit lots. Vehicles and machinery come inside through the docks and need a fuel and battery plan approved by the fire marshal.
Multi-level and covered booths
Clark County Fire plan review for double-decks and covered areas over the threshold; confirm the current threshold when the fire plan is submitted. Purple submits the engineered package with the show deadline.
November road closures
Shows in the Grand Prix window face Strip and Koval closures. Freight routes and crew travel times change; Purple builds the closure map into the schedule.
Empties and the MHA
EMPTY stickers on as you unpack; MHA turned in before you leave. Purple returns the booth to our Las Vegas warehouse the same night.
Certificates
Certificate naming the organizer and MGM Resorts, typically $1M per occurrence. Purple's is on file.
Free tool
Mandalay Bay drayage estimator
Planning numbers for 2026. Your show's exhibitor kit has the exact tariff. Rates for all four venues, every surcharge and a glossary are on the Las Vegas drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight countdown and the F1 window
Typical for IMEX America, Black Hat and MAGIC. If your show lands in the Grand Prix window, the freight windows are set by the race schedule and Purple ships a week earlier.
Show days
What a Mandalay Bay show week looks like
A keynote in the arena, a hosted-buyer floor by day, and receptions at the beach. IMEX America is the meetings industry's own show, which means the booths are judged by professionals.
The calendar
Shows at Mandalay Bay
| Show | Month | Industry | Attendance | Purple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAGIC Las Vegas (spring) | February | Fashion and apparel | 60,000 | 10×10 rentals |
| Shoptalk | March | Retail and e-commerce | 10,000+ | Booth rentals |
| Cosmoprof North America | July | Beauty | 26,000 | Custom exhibits |
| Black Hat USA | Early August | Cybersecurity | 20,000 | Booth rentals |
| Groceryshop | September | Grocery and retail | 5,000 | Booth rentals |
| IMEX America | October | Meetings and events industry | 14,000 | Custom exhibits |
| AWS re:Invent (sessions) | Late Nov – Dec | Cloud | 51,000+ citywide | Booth rentals |
| Medical and association meetings | Year round | Healthcare, finance, franchising | 3,000–15,000 | 10×20 rentals |
Dates rotate. The Las Vegas show calendar carries the current 2026 and 2027 dates.
Logistics
Hotels, the tram, crew logistics
- Airport: the closest major venue to Harry Reid International, about 10 minutes by rideshare.
- Tram: a free tram links Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. No Monorail station; the line ends at MGM Grand.
- Freight: docks off Mandalay Bay Road on the east side; marshaling per the show contractor.
- Allegiant Stadium: across I-15. Stadium event days add traffic to move-in and move-out.
- Purple's Las Vegas shop: twenty minutes away. See Las Vegas booth rentals.
| Hotel | Distance | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Mandalay Bay | Attached | Walk to the booth in five minutes. Room block fills first. |
| Delano | Attached, all-suite | Quieter tower for executives and client meetings. |
| Four Seasons | Attached, top floors | Non-gaming, for VIP guests. |
| Luxor and Excalibur | Free tram, 5 to 10 minutes | Cheapest close options. Crews stay here. |
| MGM Grand | 10-minute drive, Monorail terminus | For teams splitting time with the LVCC. |
The south Strip
The south Strip in pictures
Free-license stock and public-domain archive photos; credits under each one.
For editors, organizers and planners
Free resources you can link to
Embed the travel-time planner
Hotel blogs and show organizers can embed it in their "getting around" pages. It links back here.
Cite the numbers
For anyone writing about the south Strip convention district.
One-page Mandalay Bay cheat sheet
Docks, exclusives, tram times, F1 dates and phone numbers for your show binder.
F1 week exhibitor plan
What changes for freight, crews and hotels when your show lands in Grand Prix week, and how Purple schedules around it.
Read the Las Vegas guidePhotos for press
Purple's Mandalay Bay booth photos at print resolution, with credit, the same day you ask.
Request photosBooth cost calculator
All-in cost ranges by booth size and build type, with Las Vegas labor and drayage built in.
Open the calculatorQuestions we get every week
Mandalay Bay FAQ
Is Mandalay Bay all on one level?
The exhibit halls are. Ballrooms and meeting rooms sit above them and in the South Convention Center. For an exhibit booth that means no freight elevators, which is the main reason installs go faster here than at the Venetian.
Can I bring my own electrician or rigger?
No. MGM keeps rigging, electrical, internet and cleaning in-house. Purple orders them for you with the early-bird deadlines.
How far is it from the LVCC?
About 4 miles, 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Use the planner above. Teams working both venues in one week usually stay near MGM Grand and take the Monorail for the LVCC leg.
Does the Formula 1 race affect my show?
If your show is in mid-to-late November, yes. Grandstands and closures around the Strip and Koval Lane change freight routes and travel times. Purple plans around the closure map and ships a week early.
Can vehicles or machinery be displayed?
Yes, inside the halls. There is no outdoor lot. Fuel, battery and drip-pan rules apply and the fire marshal signs off before doors open.
How tall can I build?
Hall ceiling heights and the show's own height rules decide it; islands in the Bayside halls typically allow hanging signs. Purple confirms the height for your hall at kickoff.
Where do crews stay?
Luxor and Excalibur, one tram stop away, at a fraction of the Mandalay Bay rate during shows.
Is there a Monorail station?
No. The Monorail ends at MGM Grand, about ten minutes away by car. The free tram to Luxor and Excalibur is the on-site transit.
What about stadium event days?
Allegiant Stadium is across the freeway. Game and concert days add heavy traffic to Mandalay Bay Road in the late afternoon, which matters for move-out. Purple checks the stadium calendar against your dates.
What does Purple do that the show contractor does not?
The contractor moves freight and rents pipe-and-drape. Purple designs, builds, ships, installs, supervises and stores your booth, files the EAC and MHA paperwork, and has a shop twenty minutes away.
Exhibiting at Mandalay Bay?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a hall-specific design brief, a drayage estimate and a build timeline within two business days.
Venue guides
Every venue we have a guide for
Same standard, every hall: the building, the rules, the tools and the calendar.