What has been announced
Excel London has appointed Sam Gibson as chief information officer, according to a venue announcement dated 7 October 2026. The role is new to its executive team. Excel says the appointment is part of a multi-million-pound programme to strengthen its digital infrastructure and connectivity, and that Gibson will lead a new phase of that programme, which it says it will announce shortly.
The venue says Gibson has more than 20 years of technology-leadership experience, including senior roles in the events industry, most recently at Clarion Events, and experience in the property and construction sectors. Chief executive Jeremy Rees describes technology and connectivity as increasingly fundamental to what customers expect.
The announcement does not give a launch date, a technical specification or any change to how connectivity is priced for events.
What organisers can take from it
Putting technology on the executive team is a statement about who is accountable, not proof that a particular event will get a better connection. A registration desk, a streamed plenary and an exhibition hall full of exhibitors’ devices make very different demands, and each needs its own specification.
The useful question for a buyer is not whether the building has Wi-Fi. It is who is responsible for capacity planning, testing and incident response across the organiser’s suppliers and the venue’s own teams. A senior appointment may make that conversation easier. It does not replace it.
Questions for your next brief
- Which connectivity services are included in the venue proposal, and which are charged separately?
- What capacity is planned for your peak: concurrent devices, upload needs for streaming, and the areas that need coverage, including wired points?
- Who can make decisions on the day if something fails, and how do you reach them?
- If the event depends on streaming, access control or live demonstrations, when is the testing window and what is the agreed fallback?
A successful rehearsal in an empty hall does not show how a network performs at full attendance. These are buying questions, not findings from a test at Excel.
What remains unconfirmed
Excel has not yet published the next phase of its connectivity programme, so its scope, timetable and effect on individual event budgets cannot be assessed. For a current booking, rely on the venue’s latest written proposal rather than a corporate investment announcement.
Excel’s wider growth claims are covered in our report on its US events figures and our analysis of what an expansion announcement can tell a buyer. The venue’s published facilities are summarised in the Excel London directory profile.
Sources
Source re-read on 19 October 2026. Statements about Excel’s plans are the venue’s own; we have not tested its network or interviewed the appointee.
