Nevada is right-to-work, but Las Vegas exhibit labor runs under union agreements with the general contractor. Your full-time staff still have real rights; see below.
Exhibitor guide · Las Vegas, NV · Updated
MGM Grand Conference Center Exhibitor Guide
Shows at MGM Grand go into one room: the Marquee Ballroom, 92,000 pillar-less square feet with power and rigging access built into the floor. Freight comes in at 4701 Koval Lane, behind the resort, through one of two loading docks, and some shows refuse direct shipments altogether. This guide covers the docks, the freight-elevator limit, what your own staff may build, MGM Exhibitor Services and drayage.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: “MGM Grand, Las Vegas” by dph1110, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the MGM Grand Conference Center
Recent MGM Grand show manuals let full-time employees with company ID set up and dismantle, with their own hand and power tools. Electrical work and lifts stay union.
One 2025 show at MGM Grand banned direct shipments outright; another accepted them at 4701 Koval Lane only from move-in day. Your show kit decides.
Edlen handles outlets and lighting, Encore handles AV, rigging and hanging signs, and MGM itself runs internet, cleaning and catering.
Photos: "GEA Geothermal Expo 2013 - Opening Reception" by ThinkGeoEnergy, CC BY 2.0 Source · "GEA Geothermal Expo 2013 - Opening Reception" by ThinkGeoEnergy, CC BY 2.0 Source · "MGM Grand Lobby" by Jim R Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
On the floor at a Las Vegas industry expo
Photo: "GEA Geothermal Expo 2013 - Opening Reception" by ThinkGeoEnergy, CC BY 2.0 Source
The calendar
MGM Grand Conference Center trade shows 2026–2027
Events with an expo floor that organizers have placed at MGM Grand. Attendance figures are planning ranges from the organizers; confirm dates and venue with each one.
DevLearn Conference & Expo
Learning technology · 2026
The NGA Show
Independent grocery retail · 350+ exhibits in 2026 · 2027
WPMAExpo
Petroleum and convenience-store marketers · 2027
Enterprise Connect
Enterprise communications and CX · ~2,700 in 2026 · 2027
LeadsCon Las Vegas
Performance marketing · ~3,000 · 2027
DevLearn is November 2026; the rest are 2027. The NGA Show moves to the MGM Grand Conference Center in 2027, and Enterprise Connect's exhibitor page moves it here from Caesars Forum. The Experiential Marketing Summit met here in 2025 and 2026; it has announced April 27–29, 2027 in Las Vegas but had not named the venue when we checked. See the full Las Vegas trade show calendar.
Only at MGM Grand
The MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom and its two loading docks
Trade shows at MGM Grand set their exhibit floor in one stand-alone room on Level 1 of the conference center, served by two separate loading docks behind the resort on Koval Lane. Here is what that room means for your booth.
- 92,000sq ft with no pillars, according to MGM Grand, so island booths do not have to dodge columns. MGM rates it for trade shows or general sessions of up to 6,000 people
- 27 ftceiling over a room about 429 × 237 ft, per MGM Grand's capacity chart. Room for a tall tower or hanging sign, within your show's height rule
- In-floorpower and rigging access. Electrical and wired internet come up from the floor, so mark every drop on your booth plan when you order through MGM Exhibitor Services
- 2 docksMGM lists two separate loading docks for the conference center, at the 4701 Koval Lane freight address. Your contractor's targeted move-in plan assigns your dock and time
- 9′6″is the tallest container a 2023 GES kit allowed, because of freight elevator limits (11′ wide × 18′6″ deep). Ask whether your space is reached by elevator before you build crates
Ballrooms & exhibit space
MGM Grand Conference Center floor plan: Marquee Ballroom and more
There is no traditional exhibit hall here. Trade shows run in the stand-alone Marquee Ballroom on Level 1, with breakouts and sessions across three levels of the conference center. Official capacity charts come from MGM Grand convention sales.
92,000sq ft Marquee Ballroom, stand-alone, on Level 1 · trade shows or general sessions up to 6,000 · in-floor power and rigging access. MGM Grand's capacity chart on Marriott's site lists a 27 ft ceiling.
850,000sq ft conference center (MGM's headline figure). The same fact sheet puts total meeting space, including the Marquee Ballroom and Grand Garden Arena, at 602,000 sq ft, so check which number your contract uses.
57meeting rooms, for groups of 20 to 10,000 · nearly 50,000 sq ft of pre-function space with views of the Strip and the pool complex
~47,000sq ft Chairman's Ballroom, opened with the 2019 expansion along with a 10,000 sq ft Marquee Courtyard and floor-to-ceiling windows on all three levels
16,800seats in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, part of the 602,000 sq ft meeting total · ask MGM sales about exhibit use, since arena event dates come first
22,000sq ft of Stay Well Meetings space, filling the conference center's second floor
Loading dock & move-in
MGM Grand loading dock and freight
Get directions to MGM Grand Conference Center →
- Two loading docksMGM lists two separate loading docks for the conference center. The show-site freight address used by recent shows is 4701 Koval Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89109, behind the resort.
- Direct shipments varyGES told exhibitors at a November 2025 show that no direct shipments were allowed, citing tight security and limited storage. A Freeman show in April 2025 took show-site freight, but refused anything delivered before move-in. Plan on the advance warehouse unless your kit says otherwise.
- Elevator limitA 2023 GES kit for a show at MGM Grand capped containers at 9′6″ high × 11′ wide × 18′6″ deep because of freight elevator limits. Ask your contractor whether your space is reached by elevator.
- Small parcelsA FedEx Office in the Grand Ballroom lobby takes packages; handling and storage fees apply. Valet and self-parking are on site.
- Day −60Design approved. Hanging signs and rigging need a custom Encore contract, so request it early.
- Day −30EAC notice and certificate of insurance to show management. One recent MGM Grand show set exactly 30 days.
- Day −21Electrical, internet and cleaning orders in through MGM Exhibitor Services, with a floor plan marking every drop. Cancellations after this point carry a 50% fee.
- Day −14Purple ships to Las Vegas through our carrier network.
- Day −7Advance warehouse deadline. Nothing goes to the hotel early.
- Day 0Targeted move-in through the Koval Lane docks; install crews start.
- Show +1Move-out. Empties return, outbound paperwork turned in.
Labor & union rules
MGM Grand union rules: who can do what on the floor
From the Experiential Marketing Summit 2025 exhibitor manual (held in the Marquee Ballroom) and the MGM Grand Exhibitor Services brochure in a 2025 GES kit. Rules are set by each show and its general contractor, so check your show kit before you plan crew.
✓Your full-time staff
- Set up and dismantle your booth, any size, carrying company ID (that show defined full-time as six months or more)
- Lay carpet; the space is already carpeted, so you can also use the house carpet
- Use your own ladders, hand tools, cordless and power tools inside the booth
- Plug into standard 120V outlets and hang up to four small clip-on lights per 10×10
- Place product, open product cartons, test and repair your own product
- Hand-carry small cartons with a small two-wheel dolly or luggage cart
●Union labor and MGM services
- Booth labor otherwise comes from the general contractor or a registered EAC. In Las Vegas, Teamsters Local 631 holds exhibit installation work under the contractor agreements
- All material handling equipment (forklifts, dollies, hand trucks) is union work
- Electrical distribution, 208V+ connections, hardwiring, overhead power, truss and ground-supported lighting: union electricians, ordered through MGM Exhibitor Services (Edlen)
- AV, rigging and hanging signs: Encore
- Internet, phones and booth cleaning: MGM; wired lines run from the floor
- Food and drink, bottled water included: MGM Grand Catering only
!Not allowed for exhibitors
- Scooters, forklifts, genie lifts, scissor lifts, pallet jacks, condors, scaffolding or motorized dollies
- Four-wheel or mechanical dollies when hand-carrying
- Hand-carrying through the dock or material handling areas; use the hand-carry entrance or main entrance
- Unloading your own car at the dock: the decorator unloads at a POV area
- Your own router on MGM wired internet (no NAT); each device needs an MGM-assigned IP
- Outside food or beverage on the show floor
Background photo: "GEA Geothermal Expo 2013 - Opening Reception" by ThinkGeoEnergy, CC BY 2.0 Source
Free tool
MGM Grand Conference Center drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 at about $175 per hundredweight, a Strip-resort rate. Your general contractor's show kit carries the actual tariff. Compare venues on the Las Vegas drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$2,625
Cut this with a lighter booth
Where to stay
Hotels near the MGM Grand Conference Center
Same building
MGM Grand
About 5,000 rooms in four 30-story towers (5,044 on MGM's fact sheet). Most show blocks start here.
On the property
The Signature at MGM Grand
Three towers of 576 suites each. Non-gaming and non-smoking, good for staff who want quiet.
Inside MGM Grand
Center StripSkylofts
51 two-story lofts on the top two floors, for client hosting.
ARIA Resort & Casino
MGM's CityCenter resort, with its own convention center.
Venue guide → South StripMandalay Bay
The big MGM convention resort at the south end of the Strip.
Venue guide →Insider tips
MGM Grand Conference Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Don't ship to Koval Lane early
One 2025 show at MGM Grand banned direct shipments outright over security and storage, and another refused anything that arrived before move-in. Use the advance warehouse unless your kit clearly says otherwise.
Measure crates against the elevator
A 2023 kit capped containers at 9′6″ high, 11′ wide and 18′6″ deep because of the freight elevator. If your space is reached by elevator, build crates to fit.
Mark every floor drop by day −21
Power and wired internet run up from the floor. Send MGM Exhibitor Services a plan with every drop marked, because orders cancelled within 21 days carry a 50% fee.
Hanging sign? Call Encore first
Rigging and hanging signs at MGM Grand need a custom Encore contract, not a standard order form. Start that conversation as soon as the design is approved.
Two wheels, front door
You can hand-carry with a small two-wheel dolly or luggage cart, but only through the hand-carry or main entrance, never the dock. If you drive in, the decorator unloads your car at the POV area.
Leave the router and the water
MGM's wired internet does not allow your own router (no NAT), and each device needs an MGM-assigned IP. MGM Grand Catering is exclusive, bottled water included.
The building
From theme park land to an 850,000 sq ft conference center
The world's largest hotel when it opened in 1993, MGM Grand built its conference center on part of its old theme park and parking lot, then added a quarter million square feet in 2019.
- 1993MGM Grand opens December 18 with the Grand Garden Arena, the largest hotel in the world at the time.
- 1998The 380,000 sq ft conference center opens in April, on 15 acres of former theme park and parking lot.
- 2000The MGM Grand Adventures theme park closes to the public.
- 2017Ground breaks June 20 on a $130M, 250,000 sq ft expansion.
- 2019The expansion opens, taking the conference center past 850,000 sq ft.
- 2023Vici Properties takes full ownership of the real estate; MGM Resorts still operates it.
- 2025A $75M project at the Grand Garden Arena, per MGM's arena fact sheet.
FAQ
MGM Grand Conference Center FAQ for exhibitors
How big is the MGM Grand Conference Center?
MGM markets it at 850,000 square feet across three levels, with up to 57 meeting rooms and the stand-alone 92,000 square foot Marquee Ballroom. Its own fact sheet puts total meeting space, including the Marquee Ballroom and the 16,800-seat Grand Garden Arena, at 602,000 square feet.
Is the MGM Grand union for trade shows?
Yes, for show labor. Nevada is a right-to-work state, but exhibit installation, material handling and electrical work in Las Vegas run under union agreements with the general contractor. Full-time employees of the exhibiting company keep the right to set up their own booth under recent MGM Grand show rules; check your show kit.
Can I set up my own booth at the MGM Grand?
Under the 2025 Experiential Marketing Summit rules, yes: full-time employees with company ID could install and dismantle a booth of any size, lay carpet and use their own hand, cordless and power tools. Lifts, forklifts and electrical distribution stay with union labor.
Where is the MGM Grand loading dock?
MGM lists two separate loading docks for the conference center. Recent shows used 4701 Koval Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89109 as the show-site freight address. Your general contractor's targeted move-in plan sets the dock and time.
Can I ship directly to the MGM Grand?
It depends on the show. A November 2025 GES kit said no direct shipments at all, citing tight security and limited storage, while an April 2025 Freeman kit accepted show-site freight only from move-in day. Ship to the advance warehouse unless your kit says otherwise.
Who provides electrical, internet and rigging at the MGM Grand?
Orders go through MGM Grand Exhibitor Services. Edlen supplies outlets, lighting, labor, air and water; Encore supplies AV, rigging and hanging signs on a custom contract; MGM runs internet, phones, booth cleaning and catering.
How much is drayage at the MGM Grand?
Plan about $175 per hundredweight for 2026. That is a planning number for a Strip resort, not a published rate; the general contractor's show kit carries the actual tariff.
Can I hand-carry or unload my own car?
You can hand-carry small cartons with a small two-wheel dolly or luggage cart, through the hand-carry or main entrance rather than the dock. For a car or SUV, recent shows set up a POV area where the decorator unloads for you.
What is the ceiling height in the Marquee Ballroom?
27 feet, per the MGM Grand capacity chart published on Marriott's site (the fact sheet itself gives no figure). Your show still sets the booth height limit, and hanging signs go through Encore.
Which airport is closest to the MGM Grand?
Harry Reid International (LAS), about 3 miles away. MGM Grand is also the south end of the Las Vegas Monorail.
Exhibiting at MGM Grand?
Share your floor plan. Get a booth plan back.
Send your Marquee Ballroom booth number and how many full-time staff you are bringing. Within two business days we reply with a design your team can put up itself, crates sized for the freight elevator, a floor plan marking every power and data drop, and a drayage estimate.
Background photo: "MGM Grand Hotel & Casino" by Håkan Dahlström, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
MGM Grand Conference Center vs other Nevada venues
How the MGM Grand Conference Center stacks up against the other Nevada halls we have guides for. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Conference CenterThis guide | Resort ballrooms | 92,000 sq ft Marquee Ballroom | 27 ft | Union · check kit | ≈ $175/cwt | LAS · 3 mi |
| ARIA Convention CenterLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | ≈ 51,500 sq ft Bristlecone Ballroom | 24 ft | Union · check show kit | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · 3.3 mi |
| Caesars ForumLas Vegas | Conference center ballrooms | 110,000 sq ft Forum & Summit ballrooms | 30 ft (listed) | Union · venue exclusives | ≈ $195/cwt | LAS · 3 mi |
| Caesars PalaceLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 50,944 sq ft Julius & Octavius ballrooms | ≈ 17–26 ft | Union · check show kit | ≈ $170/cwt | LAS · 4 mi |
| Fontainebleau Las VegasLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 105,264 sq ft Royal Ballroom | 28 ft 10 in | Union · check kit | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · 4.3 mi |
| Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas | Convention center | 623,058 sq ft Central Hall | 25–42 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · 3.5 mi |
| Mandalay Bay Convention CenterLas Vegas | Convention center | 900,000+ sq ft contiguous Bayside halls | ≈ 30 ft (check hall) | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · ~10 min |
| Resorts World Las VegasLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 70,000 sq ft The Complex | 24 ft | Union · check show kit | ≈ $170/cwt | LAS · 4 mi |
| Venetian ExpoLas Vegas | Convention center | 380,000 sq ft Hall G | 13 ft 5 in–32 ft 6 in | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $195/cwt | LAS · 4 mi |
| Westgate Las Vegas Resort & CasinoLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 70,000 sq ft Paradise Event Center | 24 ft 9 in | Union · check show kit | ≈ $175/cwt | LAS · 4 mi |
| Wynn Las Vegas and EncoreLas Vegas | Resort ballrooms | 83,187 sq ft Cristal Ballroom | 28 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $185/cwt | LAS · 5 mi |
More Nevada guides
Other Las Vegas venues
Mandalay Bay Convention CenterSouth Strip
Caesars ForumCenter Strip
Venetian ExpoCenter Strip
Las Vegas Convention CenterOff-Strip
Wynn Las VegasNorth Strip
All 120 venue guides → · Las Vegas trade shows · Custom booths in Las Vegas
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Sources: MGM Grand fact sheet (March 2025) and MGM Grand Garden Arena fact sheet (January 2026), MGM Grand Exhibitor Services brochure and GES kits for shows at MGM Grand (2023, 2025), Experiential Marketing Summit 2025 exhibitor manual (Freeman), FedEx Office, LVCVA, TSNN, BizBash, Cvent, show organizers (DevLearn, NGA, WPMA, Enterprise Connect, LeadsCon, Event Marketer), Wikipedia (MGM Grand Las Vegas).