Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, and the Expo Center's work rules require union labor to run any forklift, pallet jack or other mechanized equipment.
Exhibitor guide · Uncasville, CT · Updated
Mohegan Sun Exhibitor Guide
Mohegan Sun is a casino resort on the Mohegan Tribe's reservation by the Thames River, and since 2018 it has had a real exhibit hall: the clear-span Earth Expo Center, 211 by 602 feet with room for 500 10×10 booths. Your full-time staff may set the booth, but forklifts and pallet jacks belong to union labor. This guide covers the Expo Center, the Uncas Ballroom and the arena, the eight-bay dock, the rules recent show kits print, and drayage.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: “Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, Connecticut)” by jjbers, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about Mohegan Sun
The facility work rules let full-time employees of the exhibiting company set the booth, with employment ID if asked. Extra hands are ordered from the show contractor.
Recent kits send cars, pickups, SUVs and rentals under 24 ft to a designated area outside the docks, with a 20 to 30 minute limit and up to three of your employees.
23 ft in the Uncas Ballroom and 17 ft in the Earth Ballroom, per the resort's capacity chart. Check where your booth falls under the Expo's sloped range.
Photos: "R2-D2 at Terrificon 2024" by ethan.long, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source · "Mohegan Sun Funny Car" by Eric F Savage, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source · "2008 11 28 - Uncasville - Mohegan Sun 2" by thisisbossi, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
Only at Mohegan Sun
Exhibiting on Mohegan land: what the Mohegan Sun rules mean for your booth
Mohegan Sun is owned and run by the Mohegan Tribe and sits on its reservation in Uncasville, so there is no city convention authority. The rules exhibitors meet come from the resort and the show contractor, and recent kits are clear on most of them.
- 1994The Mohegan Tribe won federal recognition, which made the 1996 resort possible. The resort sets the facility work rules your show contractor prints
- FireKits refer to the office of the Mohegan Sun Fire Marshal. Booth materials must meet NFPA 701, and any fuel, propane or flammable demo needs written approval through show management first
- 6.35%Connecticut sales tax still applies to exhibitors. Kits require a valid Connecticut sales tax permit on display for cash-and-carry sales, and contractors add the tax to orders
- UnionConnecticut is not a right-to-work state. Your full-time employees may set the booth, but only union labor runs forklifts, pallet jacks and other mechanized equipment
- In-houseFood and beverage, electrical and internet go through the resort. Encore Global handled power and AV for a 2024 show; order early
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near Mohegan Sun
On site
Earth Tower
400 rooms, opened in November 2016 and connected to the Casino of the Earth, the side of the resort with the Expo Center.
On site
Sky Tower
The 34-story original tower. The two towers total 1,600 rooms; group bookings go through the resort's group line, 1-866-708-1340.
Parking
Winter Garage
More than 13,000 on-site parking spaces. EMS & Fire Pro Expo directs visitors to the Winter Garage as the closest to the expo.
51 / 56 mi
NeighborT.F. Green (PVD) and Bradley (BDL)
The nearest major airports, per Mohegan Sun's chart. Groton-New London Airport is 14 miles away.
Foxwoods Resort Casino
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation's resort in nearby Mashantucket, also on tribal land.
Venue guide →Floor plan & exhibit space
Mohegan Sun floor plan: Earth Expo Center, Uncas Ballroom and arena
Mohegan Sun has two convention centers. The Earth Expo & Convention Center holds the exhibit hall and the Earth Ballroom; the Sky Convention Center holds the Uncas Ballroom. The 10,000-seat arena also takes booths. Tap a space for its size, ceiling and the resort's own booth count.
Schematic. Widths are proportional to floor area; the spaces sit in different parts of the resort and are not contiguous. Official floor plans and the capacity chart are on meetings.mohegansun.com.
Earth Expo Center
- 112,108 sq ft · 211′ × 602′
- 22–30 ft ceiling
- 500 10×10 booths
The column-free hall opened in 2018 and is marketed at 125,000 sq ft. Clerestory windows bring in daylight, and the loading dock and overhead doors are on the hall itself. Theater seating for 6,230.
Uncas Ballroom
- 36,556 sq ft · 152′ × 240.5′
- 23 ft ceiling
- 184 10×10 or 222 8×10 booths
The pillar-less ballroom of the Sky Convention Center, divisible into Salons A to D, with 11,032 sq ft of pre-function space. Used for association conferences with a smaller exhibit floor.
Mohegan Sun Arena
- 30,000 sq ft floor · 153′ × 207′
- 68 ft ceiling
- 153 10×10 or 195 8×10 booths
Home of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, with 10,000 seats. Its floor can take an exhibit when the arena calendar allows.
Earth Ballroom
- 17,902 sq ft · 107′ × 178′
- 17 ft ceiling
- 80 10×10 booths
In the Earth Expo & Convention Center, divisible into Ballroom A (9,037 sq ft) and B (8,865 sq ft). Good for a tabletop exhibit, sponsor area or general session beside the Expo.
275,000sq ft of indoor meeting and event space across the resort, per Mohegan Sun
15 + 20meeting rooms: 15 in the Earth Expo & Convention Center, 20 more in the Sky Convention Center
36,000sq ft Sun Patio, outdoor and partly covered, plus the 3,100 sq ft Earth Terrace
278,500sq ft Winter Parking Lot, listed on the capacity chart as outdoor event space
Loading dock & move-in
Mohegan Sun loading dock and freight
Get directions to Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention Center →
- Eight bays at the ExpoThe Earth Expo Center has an eight-bay loading dock off an open parking field, plus two grade-level drive-in doors, according to its 2018 opening announcement. The capacity chart shows overhead doors along the hall.
- Contractor controls the dockOver-the-road carriers are unloaded by the official contractor (Shepard or Demers on recent shows). Trucks report to the marshaling point and wait to be called to the dock.
- POVs stay off the dockPersonal vehicles unload at a designated area outside the docks, with a 20 to 30 minute limit depending on the show.
- Not through the front doorMohegan Sun allows no freight through the front doors and no freight in passenger elevators. One hand-carried item, one time, is the exception.
- Day −60Design approved. Any fuel, propane or open-flame demo goes to show management for Fire Marshal approval.
- Day −35EAC paperwork and certificate of insurance filed. Power and internet ordered through the resort.
- Day −21Purple ships and installs from its New York location, coordinating carriers into Uncasville.
- Day −13Advance warehouse deadline. Recent kits set it about two weeks before move-in.
- Day 0Carriers to the Expo dock; POVs to the designated area outside it. Direct shipments are received on move-in days only.
- Show closeMove-out. At consumer shows the dock stays locked until the public has left.
Labor & union rules
Mohegan Sun union rules: what your team can do itself
Connecticut is not a right-to-work state. These rules come from the Expo Center's facility work rules as printed by Demers Exposition Services (2023), and from Shepard kits for LBM Expo (2024 and 2026) and Wire Expo (2024). Contractors differ on some points, so your own show kit is the final word.
✓Your full-time staff
- Set your booth, as full-time employees of the exhibiting company. Bring employment ID; it must be produced if requested. No booth-size cap appears in the kits we reviewed
- Unload a car, minivan, SUV, pickup, company truck or rental under 24 ft at the designated POV area, with up to three of your employees
- Move freight with your own dollies, two-wheel hand trucks and four-wheel flat trucks
- Hand-carry one item, one time, through other entrances
●Union labor and the resort
- Forklifts, pallet jacks, rider jacks, Moffetts and scissor lifts: union labor or contractor personnel only
- All over-the-road carriers are unloaded by the official contractor
- Help beyond your own full-time staff is ordered through the contractor
- EACs: Demers' work rules let an EAC supervise but not do the hands-on work; Shepard's Wire Expo kit allowed approved contractors under union rules. Check yours
- Food and beverage, electrical and internet through Mohegan Sun
!Watch for
- No carts from the venue: bring your own dollies
- No freight through the front doors or in passenger elevators
- Overtime on Demers labor: weekends and after 4:30 p.m., with a two-hour minimum (2023 kit)
- Helium balloons are banned in consumer-show kits
- No taping to walls or hanging from the ceiling at consumer shows; trade shows such as LBM Expo allow hanging signs over islands
- No empty crates stored in the hall
Background photo: "Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, Connecticut)" by jjbers, CC BY 2.0 Source
Free tool
Mohegan Sun drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 at about $120 per hundredweight. Recent Mohegan Sun kits printed $112/cwt for crated freight (Shepard, 2024) and $76–78/cwt (Demers, 2023), well under New York City rates. The actual tariff is in your show kit. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$1,800
Cut this with a lighter booth
On the floor at Mohegan Sun
Photo: "2008 11 28 - Uncasville - Mohegan Sun 7" by thisisbossi, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source
The calendar
Mohegan Sun trade shows 2026–2027
The Earth Expo Center mixes regional consumer shows with New England trade and professional expos. Confirm dates and halls with each organizer.
EMS & Fire Pro Expo
EMS and fire service · 2026 · next edition Oct 20–23, 2027
LBM Expo
Lumber and building materials dealers · Earth Expo · 2026
Hartford Boat Show
Boats, engines and accessories, consumer · Earth Expo · CT Marine Trades Association · 2027
Southeastern CT Home & Garden Show
Home and garden, consumer · 46th edition · 2027
Sun RV & Camping Show
RVs and camping, consumer · Earth Expo · 2027
Dates are from each organizer's site or exhibitor kit for the edition shown; shows listed with only a 2026 date had not posted 2027 dates when we checked (October 2026). Held here in 2026: the Connecticut Fishing & Outdoor Show (March 20–22) and PFEXPO East, a pet retail trade show (Sept 17–18); neither had posted 2027 dates. Wire Expo (2024) and the Connecticut Recreation & Parks Association conference (Uncas Ballroom, 2025) have also exhibited here.
The resort
From a reactor-parts plant to an expo hall on the Thames
The Mohegan Tribe built its resort on an old industrial site by the river, then added an arena, a second hotel tower and, in 2018, a true exhibit hall.
- 1994The Mohegan Tribe gains federal recognition in March, the first step toward a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
- 1996Mohegan Sun opens October 12 on 240 acres along the Thames River, a site United Nuclear Corporation once used to build nuclear reactor components.
- 2001The 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena opens.
- 2003The Connecticut Sun begin playing at the arena, the first major pro sports venue in the U.S. owned and operated by a Native American tribe.
- 2016The 400-room Earth Tower opens November 18.
- 2018The $80 million Earth Expo & Convention Center opens with a ribbon cutting on May 30. Barrett-Jackson's Northeast auction, June 20–23, is its first major event.
- 2020On March 17 the resort closes for the first time, alongside Foxwoods, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Insider tips
Mohegan Sun exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Bring your own dollies
The Expo Center provides no carts for exhibitors, and Mohegan Sun carts and staff are not available. Pack two-wheel hand trucks or flat carts; anything mechanized has to be run by union labor.
Three people, 20 to 30 minutes
At the POV area outside the docks, Shepard kits allow up to three of your own employees and a 20 minute (2024) or 30 minute (2026) limit per vehicle. Load the van in booth order so it empties fast.
Rent the truck under 24 ft
LBM Expo rules accept a company truck or a rental under 24 ft at the POV area, but trailers, box trucks and full-size vans go to the dock for contractor unloading. Pick the vehicle before you book it.
Clear the snow before you roll in
Winter consumer-show kits warn that no vehicle or equipment enters the building unless it is reasonably free of snow and ice. For February and March shows, budget a few minutes at the door.
Get your Connecticut tax permit
Being on tribal land does not exempt your sales. Kits require a Connecticut sales tax permit on display if you sell cash-and-carry, and contractor orders carry the state's 6.35% sales tax.
Measure against 22, not 30
The Expo Center ceiling runs from 22 to 30 ft, and LBM Expo sets island height 4 ft below the ceiling's highest point. Check your booth's spot on the floor plan before you design a tall tower or hanging sign.
FAQ
Mohegan Sun FAQ for exhibitors
How big is the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo Center?
The resort's capacity chart lists the Expo Center at 112,108 sq ft, 211 by 602 feet, with a 22 to 30 ft ceiling and room for 500 10×10 booths. Mohegan Sun markets it as a 125,000 sq ft column-free hall; the whole Earth Expo & Convention Center adds the 17,902 sq ft Earth Ballroom and 15 meeting rooms.
Is Mohegan Sun union for trade show labor?
Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, and the Expo Center's work rules require union labor to operate any mechanized equipment such as forklifts and pallet jacks. Booth labor beyond your own full-time staff is ordered through the official show contractor.
Can I set up my own booth at Mohegan Sun?
Yes, with full-time employees of your company, who must show employment ID if asked. Demers' version of the facility rules says an exhibitor-appointed contractor may supervise but its employees may not do the hands-on work, while a Shepard kit allowed approved contractors under union rules. Check your show kit.
Can I unload my own vehicle at Mohegan Sun?
Recent Shepard kits allow cars, minivans, SUVs, pickups, company trucks and rentals under 24 ft at a designated POV area outside the docks, with a 20 to 30 minute limit, up to three of your employees and non-mechanized dollies only. POVs do not get dock access, and over-the-road carriers are unloaded by the contractor.
Where is the Mohegan Sun loading dock?
The Earth Expo Center has an eight-bay loading dock off an open parking field, plus two grade-level drive-in doors. The official contractor controls the dock and schedules trucks. Freight may not come through the front doors or up passenger elevators.
How much is drayage at Mohegan Sun?
Plan about $120 per hundredweight. Recent kits printed $112/cwt for crated freight (Shepard, 2024) and $76–78/cwt (Demers, 2023), with a 200 lb minimum per shipment. Your show kit carries the actual rate.
Do I pay Connecticut sales tax at Mohegan Sun?
Plan on it. Show kits at Mohegan Sun require a valid Connecticut sales tax permit on display for cash-and-carry sales, and contractors charge the state's 6.35% sales tax on orders. Check with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services for your situation.
Who handles fire safety approvals?
Kits point to the office of the Mohegan Sun Fire Marshal. All booth materials must meet NFPA 701, and any fuel, propane or flammable demonstration needs written approval, requested through show management rather than directly.
What is the ceiling height in the Uncas Ballroom?
23 ft, across 36,556 sq ft, per the capacity chart. It fits 184 10×10 or 222 8×10 booths and divides into Salons A to D.
Which airport is closest to Mohegan Sun?
T.F. Green in Providence is 51 miles away and Bradley International near Hartford is 56 miles, per Mohegan Sun. Groton-New London Airport is 14 miles away.
Exhibiting at Mohegan Sun?
Tell us the show. We will fit the booth to the hall.
Tell us whether you are in the Earth Expo Center, the Uncas Ballroom or the arena, how many full-time staff will build, and whether you will unload at the POV area. Within two business days you get a design that suits the resort's labor rules, a drayage estimate and a freight plan from our New York location.
Background photo: "Looking across the river" by jjbers, CC BY 2.0 Source
Compare venues
Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention Center vs other venues within a drive of New York
How the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohegan Sun Earth Expo & Convention CenterThis guide | Resort expo center | 112,108 sq ft Earth Expo Center | 22–30 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $120/cwt | PVD · 51 mi |
| Connecticut Convention CenterHartford | Convention center | 140,000 sq ft · Halls A + B | 32 ft | Union · 3-employee rule | ≈ $100/cwt | BDL · 15 mi |
| Foxwoods Resort CasinoMashantucket | Resort ballrooms | 47,553 sq ft Premier Ballroom | 26 ft | Tribal land · check kit | ≈ $115/cwt | PVD · 41 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 |
| 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 within a drive of New York
Foxwoods Resort CasinoMashantucket, CT
Connecticut Convention CenterHartford, CT
Rhode Island Convention CenterProvidence, RI
Westchester County CenterWhite Plains, NY
MJN Convention CenterPoughkeepsie, NY
Javits CenterNew York, NY
DCU CenterWorcester, MA
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with the venue. Sources: Mohegan Sun meetings site and capacity chart, Demers Exposition Services exhibitor manual and facility labor regulations (Sun RV & Camping Show, 2023), Shepard Exposition Services kits for LBM Expo (2024) and Wire Expo (2024), LBM Expo 2026 rules and regulations, North East Expos and Northeast Productions exhibitor kits, PFEXPO East 2026 exhibitor kit, The Meeting Magazines and GGB on the 2018 opening, KPF and A/Z Corporation project pages, National Right to Work Committee, Wikipedia (Mohegan Sun), and organizer sites for the shows listed.