First Annual “Innovator of the Year Award” Announced and Awarded to Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s Tom Cantone

UNCASVILLE, CT (August 19, 2021) – CelebrityAccess proudly announced this year, the First Annual “Innovator of the Year Award.” This award is designed to recognize our entertainment industry’s most innovative organizations, who pave new paths and initiatives to creatively bring new business and productivity to our industry.

This year’s recipient: Tom Cantone, President of Sports and Entertainment, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE); is largely responsible for revolutionizing casino entertainment to one of the most ambitious and wide-reaching on the planet. Tom’s career spans over many years spent in the gaming and entertainment industry. Currently Cantone has been at Mohegan Sun for 14 years.

2020 caused us all to take a step back and find ways to stay relevant and reimagine how to stay open and keep staff employed.  “Our first recipient embodied all these accomplishments by creating a remarkable story of historic significance during the height of the pandemic that shut down the world” stated Marc Gentilella, President/CEO of CelebrityAccess.

Mohegan Sun Arena, part of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s (MGE) network of properties worldwide, never actually closed during the pandemic; Mohegan Sun partnered with ViacomCBS to broadcast a series of “Bubble” broadcasts from the facility that brought SHOWTIME Boxing and Bellator MMA events to over 12 million television screens and streaming viewers all over the world.

“We found a way to stay relevant during historic times,” Cantone says. “We could have sat it out and waited but we took advantage of opportunity that comes with a crisis. We were able to keep a lot of people working and kept the venue alive and well with non-stop programming to viewers around the world. Live From Mohegan Sun Arena were 5 special words people looked forward to every week”.

These efforts caused CelebrityAccess to name Cantone and MGE Properties, Innovator of the Year for 2020.

“This recognition is shared with great respect and empathy for all our Team Members at Mohegan Sun,” Cantone says. “At a time of uncharted territory and personal risk, they found a way to show the world what leaders do best even during an historic pandemic.”

In a huge step, Mohegan Sun Arena is now open for live audiences that included hosting a private concert to show player appreciation for Mohegan Sun and to provide a chance for ticket-takers, security, vendors and other employees to reacquaint themselves with the routines of live events and focus on Guest Service.

“It was such a great night,” Cantone says. “People were hugging each other and there was a genuine sense of rejuvenation. I think we all realized how much the people who work in the Arena and throughout the property realize this is a great place to work. It sounds corny, but we’re back to making memories.”

To date, Mohegan Sun Arena has over three dozen concerts, sporting events and performances scheduled for the Arena into December. They include Brantley Gilbert, Blake Shelton, Harry Styles, Sebastian Maniscalco, the Dave Matthews Band and the Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald

New events will continue to be announced, Cantone says, and we have secured a commitment to host the Miss America pageant for the next three years. Justin Bieber, The Weekend and Brad Paisley have each also confirmed for shows in 2022.

“Undoubtedly, Tom’s vision of a ViacomCBS Residency will go down as one of the most successful game plans to beat a pandemic in casino and venue history”, said Marc Gentilella, President/Founder of Celebrity Access, as he presented Tom with their first and Annual Innovator of the Year Award.

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***MEDIA ALERT*** Jason Mraz Performance at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, August 22nd to be Postponed due to Hurricane Henri

***Please be advised that this performance which was originally planned to be postponed due to Tropical Storm Henri, has now been cancelled. Refunds will be available at point of purchase.***

UNCASVILLE, CT (August 21, 2021) — Due to the state of emergency issued by the State of Connecticut related to Hurricane Henri, the Jason Mraz performance originally scheduled for tomorrow evening at Mohegan Sun Arena will be postponed.

Updates on a rescheduled Jason Mraz concert at Mohegan Sun Arena will become available via mohegansun.com and Ticketmaster.com. Guests can hold on to their tickets for the rescheduled date.

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Breaking Benjamin with Special Guests Papa Roach & Memphis May Fire Set to Rock the Mohegan Sun Arena on September 17th

UNCASVILLE, CT (August 06, 2021) – Multiplatinum Rock group Breaking Benjamin returns to the road this summer to tour venues across the U.S before stopping by to rock Mohegan Sun Arena with special guests Papa Roach and Memphis May Fire on Friday, September 17th at 7:00pm.

Tickets are $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50 and on sale today, Friday, August 6th at 10:00am via Ticketmaster. Tickets are also available at BreakingBenjamin.com.

Since bursting onto the scene in the early 2000’s, Breaking Benjamin are no strangers to the upper echelons of the rock charts. The band has produced an impressive string of mainstream rock radio hits, with ten songs hitting #1, numerous platinum and multi-platinum songs and albums, and 8.5 billion combined streams worldwide. AURORA, the bands most recent release gave Breaking Benjamin their 10th #1 song at rock radio with “Far Away ft. Scooter Ward.”  Breaking Benjamin’s last studio album, EMBER debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and marked the multiplatinum band’s fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200, following 2015’s #1 debut for DARK BEFORE DAWN, 2009’s DEAR AGONY at #4, and 2006’s PHOBIA at #2. EMBER spun off two #1 hits at Active Rock Radio with “Red Cold River” and “Torn in Two.”  AURORA and EMBER charted Top 10 across numerous countries worldwide and topping #1 charts across multiple genres, including Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Digital Albums.

About Papa Roach

The two-time Grammy-nominated, Platinum-selling band Papa Roach is kicking open the door to a new chapter of their career with the release of “Swerve,” a high-octane, swagger-packed thrill ride featuring the front man of Fever 333, Jason Aalon Butler, and rising LA-based rapper Sueco.  Papa Roach has been one of the mainstays in alternative rock for two decades and continue to impact that space with consistent, genre-bending releases, the latest being “Swerve” featuring Fever333 and Sueco. The group has sold over 20 million records worldwide, garnered over 2 billion streams to date, charted eight #1 hit singles on three different radio formats (Active Rock, Alternative and Top 40), further solidifying Papa Roach as one of the most consistently successful rock bands of their era.

About Memphis May Fire

Memphis May Fire, the four-piece rock band channels a generation’s worth of angst, frustration, and pain, with a focused blend of gigantic melodic hooks and crushing aggression. Even after topping Billboard’s Hard Music Albums chart and breaking into radio’s Active Rock Top 20, Memphis May Fire refuses to sacrifice who they are or the people who made them. Their fourth studio album, Unconditional, debuted 4th on the US Billboard 200 and atop the Alternative Albums charts! Memphis May Fire rekindled the spark within to build an inferno of riffs and inspirational words. 2021 has seen the release of two acclaimed singles, “Blood & Water” and “Death Inside”, and more music is expected soon.

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now and is also consistently ranked top 15 in the world for “All Size Venues.” The award–winning venue was named “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” in 2016 and is a seven–time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) national award–winner for “Arena of the Year,” with the most recent recognition coming in 2019.  In 2020, Mohegan Sun Arena remained one of the top venues in the world according to year-end reports by both Pollstar and Venues Now. For more information and updates on Mohegan Sun Arena, call 1.888.226.7711 or visit Mohegan Sun.

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The Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun to Support Local Bands all Summer Long

UNCASVILLE, CT (July 21, 2021) – Entertainment is heating up at Mohegan Sun this summer, with incredible stand-up comedy inside Comix Comedy Club, can’t miss tribute bands at the new Party on the Patio event every Friday night and of course, the biggest names in music returning to the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena. Joining the mix of incredible live entertainment throughout the summer will be exciting local bands playing the Wolf Den every week. Hitting the stage in August and September include acts like the Brandt Taylor Band, F & Blues Band, Thirty 6 Red, the ToneShifters, and plenty more!

“Connecticut and our surrounding regions are home to some of the best local bands, bar none, and we’re thrilled to be able to showcase such a tremendous lineup over the next few months,” –said Greg Romeyn, Director of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) “The entertainment industry felt the challenges of the past 15 months as much as any industry did, and Mohegan Sun wanted to largely dedicate our longest running music venue to one of the most vital segments of this industry: live local music.”

Popular local acts that have recently played the Wolf Den of recent include Branded Country that ROCKS, Wicked Peach, Whiskey Boulevard, Last Licks and more. The action rolls on in early August, when singer, songwriter and incredible guitarist, Brandt Taylor, returns to the Wolf Den stage.

Taylor, who hails from Connecticut and began playing music at the age of nine and professionally by 16, will take the stage with his full band, playing original music. Don’t miss the Brandt Taylor Band at 8:00pm on Thursday, August 5th.

On Saturday, August 7th, F & Blues Band is scheduled to play the Wolf Den at 8:00pm. Based out of southern New England, F & Blues Band is a high energy Blues dance band comprised of four highly seasoned musicians playing the best of Old Blues and original tunes. For more information, visit F & Blues Band. Other great local acts like Thirty 6 Red, Fleet, Plain Jane and Van Halen Tribute featuring Tyler Morris fill out the August calendar in the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun.

In September, the thrilling group, Souls on Fire, bring their 10-piece horn section and the best music of the 70’s to the Wolf Den stage. Souls on Fire plays the hits form Chicago, Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Motown and plenty more. Wolf Den fans can’t go wrong on Thursday, September 2nd for an amazing performance kicking off at 8:00pm.

New London’s own, the ToneShifters, are set for back-to-back Wolf Den shows (8:00pm) beginning Saturday, September 4th. Formed in 2009, the ToneShifters are a Blues / Roots band who have played venues like C.B.G.B’s, Studio 54 and the Hartford Civic Center. Their sound also combines different genres into a cohesive mix of originals and obscure covers. Learn more about the ToneShifters at their Facebook page.

And on Friday, September 17th and Saturday, September 18th, the band Red Light will be performing at 8:00pm in the Wolf Den. Red Light is known throughout New England, bringing classic Dance Party Rock, Country Rock and Pop Rock covers to live music fans. This experienced and dynamic band plays a wide variety of hits, with two highly-skilled guitarists, a monster back beat and multiple part harmonies. Red Light was voted the 2020 Best Musical Group of Eastern CT by The Norwich Bulletin Readers Choice Awards.

The Wolf Den will also still feature some nationally touring headliners throughout the summer as well, including Autograph on Thursday, July 29th, Queensrÿche on Saturday, August 14th and O-Town on Thursday, September 30th.

Guests can stay tuned to mohegansun.com/wolfdenshows for more updates on local acts at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, as more shows will be added through early fall 2021.

*All Wolf Den shows are free and 21+. Lines form early and seats are given on a first-serve basis until full capacity is met.

ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN

Owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States.  Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to two unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two world-class spas, a golf course, over 80 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. 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. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mohegansun, view us on YouTube and find us on Snapchat at username MoheganSun.

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Mohegan Sun Names Stephanie Zapata Director of Business Development

UNCASVILLE, CT (July 21, 2021) – Mohegan Sun is excited to announce that business development expert, Stephanie Zapata, will join its meetings & conventions sales team, led by VP of Exhibitions and Sales, John Washko. Zapata will be based in and dedicated to the Northeast market, and driving business opportunities from this key area to Mohegan Sun. Zapata was recently the National Sales Manager for New Business Development for Tarrytown House Estate in New York.

As the new Director of Business Development, a newly created role at Mohegan Sun,  Zapata will lead the outbound sales effort through a combination of digital, phone, and face to face engagement.

Stephanie Zapata is a graduate of Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY and soon after became the National Sales Manager for Tarrytown House Estate in New York, where she led business development across a portfolio of 35 properties. In 2011, Zapata would go on to a National Sales Manager role with Flik Hotels & Conference Center in New York, where she oversaw all Flik conference centers and mentored sales managers on brand values, customer experience, policies and sales techniques. Her career in hotel sales and business development also took her to Denver Colorado, where she became National Sales Manager for the Hilton Denver Inverness. Zapata then returned to Tarrytown House Estate in 2017 to become the National Sales Manager, New Business Development.

Zapata, who is an iPEC Certified Coach, has also served as a Lifestyle Health Coach in the United States since 2013, helping clients create better habits and techniques that guide long term goal setting and successes. Her accolades also include 2018-2019 Starz Awards, a 2010 President’s Club Recipient award for having achieved an exceptional sales goal and a 2005 SPOTY (Sales Professional of the Year). Zapata is a member of Meeting Planners International (MPI) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA,) among others.

Stephanie can be contacted at 860-908-3036 or via email at [email protected]

ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN:  Owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States.  Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to two unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two world-class spas, a golf course, over 80 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. 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. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mohegansun, view us on YouTube and find us on Snapchat at username MoheganSun.

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2CELLOS Announce 2022 U.S. Tour In Celebration Of Their 10 Year Anniversary

Duo will bring their electrifying show to Mohegan Sun Arena on March 31, 2022

UNCASVILLE, CT (July 19, 2021) – Today, 2CELLOS announce dates for their 2022 U.S. tour in celebration of their 10th anniversary as a duo.  Known for their captivating live performances, 2CELLOS are set to kick off their tour March 26th at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL, with a stop at Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7:30pm

Tickets are $125.00, $79.50, and $49.50 and on sale Friday, July 23rd at Noon via Ticketmaster.  Please visit 2CELLOS.com/tour for additional ticketing information.

The news arrives on the heels of their latest single releases, “Demons,” a haunting version of the Imagine Dragons’ hit song, and “Livin’ on a Prayer,” a vibrant rendition of the Bon Jovi rock classic.  Fans can expect to experience new music on tour along with 2CELLOS’ staples i.e., “Thunderstruck” (AC/DC), “Smooth Criminal” (Michael Jackson), and their Game of Thrones medley. Stay tuned for more exciting music updates from 2CELLOS coming this Friday, July 23rd.

ABOUT 2CELLOS
2CELLOS is the eclectic duo comprised of two classically trained cellists who reached video viral fame on YouTube from their 2011 rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” The pair, Luka Šulić and HAUSER, have since created a name for themselves with their electric and dynamic playing style. Together, 2CELLOS have amassed a staggering 1.3 billion YouTube views, 5.5 million YouTube subscribers, 1 billion streams, and have sold nearly 1 million tickets. 2CELLOS have taken the cello to unimagined heights as their signature style breaks down the boundaries between genres of music, from Classical and Film music, to Pop and Rock. Known for their electric live performances, 2CELLOS have sold out shows across the globe at historic venues including New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. The duo has performed alongside musical greats Steven Tyler, Andrea Bocelli, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age and George Michael, to name a few, and was hand-picked by Sir Elton John to perform both as an opener as well as part of the iconic singer’s live band. 2CELLOS are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and are working hard to continue reaching new stratospheres.

CONNECT WITH 2CELLOS
2CELLOS.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now and is also consistently ranked top 15 in the world for “All Size Venues.” The award–winning venue was named “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” in 2016 and is a seven–time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) national award–winner for “Arena of the Year,” with the most recent recognition coming in 2019.  In 2020, Mohegan Sun Arena remained one of the top venues in the world according to year-end reports by both Pollstar and Venues Now. For more information and updates on Mohegan Sun Arena, call 1.888.226.7711 or visit Mohegan Sun.

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