Mohegan Sun

Construction Gets Underway on Earth Tower, House of Blues and Additional Retail and Dining Venues

UNCASVILLE, CONN. (May 14, 2008) " Nothing about Mohegan Sun is typical, not even its groundbreaking ceremonies. So it was perhaps no surprise that Dan Aykroyd roared onto the stage of todays press conference on a custom motorcycle to help Mohegan Sun executives and Tribal members usher in the next phase of Project Horizon, its multi-million dollar expansion. Fittingly, the phase includes a second hotel along with new retail outlets and restaurants developed in partnership with House of Blues, an organization co-founded by Dan Aykroyd.

In the words of Mitchell Etess, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mohegan Sun, Project Horizon has been evolving for the past couple of years and is among our most ambitious ventures. With it, we again bring together the team that so successfully conceived and designed the existing complex and welcome our brand new partnership with House of Blues.

The press conference, officiated by Mitchell Etess and Mohegan Tribal Chairman Bruce Two Dogs Boszum, took place on the rooftop of the Winter Garage overlooking the construction site. In addition to Dan Aykroyd, special guests included David Mexico of the Rockwell Group of New York, Debbie Eybers, President of House of Blues, Jim Jablonski, Chief Operating Officer of House of Blues, Aidan Scully, Senior Vice President of House of Blues, and Jim Koplik, Live Nations Chairman of the Northeast Region.

Earth Hotel Tower

The new Earth Hotel Tower, owned and operated by Mohegan Sun, will stand 39 stories high and feature approximately 920 rooms, including 261 themed House of Blues rooms. Guests staying in the House of Blues-themed rooms will be registered independently of other guests and can enjoy the exclusivity and luxury of the House of Blues members-only Foundation Room, located on the upper floors of the new tower. Destined to be the tallest building in the state of Connecticut, the new tower will offer breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. With completion expected in October 2010, it will also feature a world-class spa and fitness facility.

House of Blues Hits Mohegan Sun

In addition to themed hotel rooms, House of Blues will endow Mohegan Sun with a music venue, restaurant, retail outlet with House of Blues memorabilia, and special events room. Owned by Live Nation, the music mega-giant will own and operate a 1,500-capacity music venue, the perfect complement to three venues already operating at Mohegan Sun which seat anywhere from 300 to 10,000 guests.

House of Blues will own and operate a 250-seat casual dining restaurant offering regional and international cuisines, along with traditional southern-inspired favorites. The latter includes such dishes as Creole Seafood Jambalaya, Pan-Seared Voodoo Shrimp with Rosemary Cornbread, and White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding.

Like the rest of Project Horizon, the House of Blues components will open in October 2010.

Additional Retail Outlets and Restaurants

With the expansion, Mohegan Sun is adding new retail and dining concourses that branch out from each side of the new Earth Hotel Tower. A 480-foot long concourse, called Spirit of the Sea, will connect the new hotel to the existing one. The concourses design was inspired by coastal life and Moshup, the Native American spirit of the sea who, as legend had it, lit his pipe with lightening. That act is represented by fire islands in a reflecting pool and fire sconces along the concourse. Cast terrazzo flooring is embedded with whale bones and sea shells, and columns of ash wood inlaid with glass tile line the path.

On the other side of Earth Hotel Tower, a 320-foot long concourse leads to Casino of the Earth. The concourse, dubbed Spirit of the Earth, represents in design the garden of Granny Squannit, an ancient Mohegan healer and the wife of Moshup. Here, terrazzo flooring will be embedded with herbs and organic shapes will figure in furnishings and fixtures.

The new retail and dining outlets join the 60 already operating at Mohegan Sun.

Casino of the Wind

Casino of the Wind, a 64,000 square-foot gaming and entertainment complex, is among the most significant new components of Project Horizon. It broke ground in 2007 and will open later this year. It marks the return of poker to Mohegan Sun with a 42-table poker room, along with 680 slot machines and 28 table games. Casino of the Wind will also be home to Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville, a multi-level restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, and Chefs Deli, a quick-bite restaurant.

When all is said and done in 2010, Project Horizon will add more than 1.4 million square feet to Mohegan Suns existing structure.

About House of Blues & Live Nation

HOB Entertainment, Inc., a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company, is the definitive live music brand. Founded in 1992, this dynamic company with soul, spirit and vision is comprised of the following: House of Blues Clubs, which operate 1,000 - 2,300 capacity venues located in Anaheim, Atlantic City, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Orlando and San Diego. HOB was acquired by Live Nation in November 2006. Live Nation is the future of the music business. With the most live concerts, music venues and festivals in the world and the most comprehensive concert search engine on the web, Live Nation is revolutionizing the music industry: onstage and online. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." For more information, please visit www.livenation.com.

About Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.
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Special thanks to N.F. Sheldons of Auburn, MA, for use of the Road King driven by Dan Aykroyd and to PYRO-FX of Hamden, Conn.