iGB L!VE conference survival guide

In July 2026, iGB L!VE will take place at Excel London for the second time (it moved there from Amsterdam in 2025). The date and scale of the conference may be relatively new, but there’s a long history of iGaming conferences being held in London and I’ve been attending them for more than a decade – I remember when iGBA Barcelona was at Earls Court and called the London Affiliate Conference.

I’m also a Londoner through and through, having lived in the capital for more than 40 years. Here are my tips for making the most of your trip to iGB L!VE.

iGB L!VE advance planning tips

• DO start organising months in advance so you can 
• get a good deal on travel and hotels 
• book meetings with important people before their schedule fills up
• if applicable, get a visa or ETA to allow you to enter the UK
• DO reach out to existing partners to let them know you will be attending the conference
• DO post on LinkedIn to let everyone know you are attending
• DO plan to arrive the day before the conference starts if possible, so you won’t be delayed/stressed/exhausted the first day. In the case of iGB L!VE, the welcome drinks are a must-attend. They run on the evening before the show floor opens, so it’s best to be in London and checked into your hotel by mid afternoon
• DON’T plan any heavy sightseeing for the Friday – you will probably be too tired to do very much (and if you aren’t too tired, you’re doing it wrong!). If you want to go full metal tourist, add a day or two at either end of your stay.
• DO check that you have plenty of up-to-date business cards and order more if necessary. Even if you normally use a QR code instead, it’s handy to be able to drop your cards at stands
• DO download, install and complete your profile on the conference networking app, and check it regularly for messages

• DO make sure you have an up-to-date taxi app (Uber, Free Now, Bolt and Gett all work in London)
• DO check the weather forecast before you travel and pack accordingly. London in July can be anything from baking heat to relentless rain, and it can change from one to the other very quickly.

London hotel and travel tips

iGB L!VE doesn’t have an official hotel (it’s too big for that!) so the website has a hotel booking section with individual and group booking facilities. You can search by price range, distance from Excel and rating and specify an accessible room if needed.

If you are exhibiting at iGB L!VE, you’ll want to be as close to the venue as possible. If you don’t have a stand, a hotel that’s within walking distance of Excel may not be the best option for you. Why? Because evening events are typically held elsewhere in London, so if you are a party animal you may want to look at hotels near the event you plan to attend rather than next to the conference centre. Here are my other tips:

• DON’T assume you don’t need a hotel just because you live in London! Check your journey times to Excel to see if it’s feasible to day-trip the conference
• If you are flying in, DON’T assume that any airport with London in its name will do. London City Airport is very close to the conference centre and all other “London” airports are a long way away. Heathrow has a direct route to Central London, Canary Wharf and Excel via the Elizabeth Line, but it is more than an hour’s travel time
• Don’t like flying? The Eurostar train will take you to St Pancras 
• DON’T assume it’s best to get taxis everywhere. London is a big place and there’s lots of traffic. Public transport (e.g. the DLR or Elizabeth Line to and from Excel) often turns out to be quicker and easier as well as much cheaper. You can use contactless or a visitor Oyster card (but not cash) to pay for any public transport 

Sightseeing recommendations from Excel

• For a full day: take the DLR to Cutty Sark to visit the historic ship, the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum. (Or get off at Island Gardens and walk through the foot tunnel under the Thames)
• For less walking: take the DLR to Canary Wharf and go on a boat trip along the Thames. Uber Boats aka Thames Clippers are a great way to see the city from the river and you can buy a Hop-on Hop-off ticket giving you unlimited travel for the day

• For a lower-key outing, take the DLR to Stratford. You can have fun like a true Londoner by sitting in the front seat and pretending to drive the train and then stroll around the Olympic Park and visit the “twisted tower” to ride the longest tunnel slide in the world

Conference meeting and networking tips

• DO prepare and print out your full schedule in advance (as well as having it on your phone) and double check all meetings have been arranged for London time (GMT is an hour behind CET) and for the correct day!
• DO make sure you can contact the people you are meeting and let them know in good time if you are running late or need to cancel/rearrange. Remember that they may not check their email and Teams regularly during the conference and WhatsApp, Telegram or good old SMS may be a better option
• If you are meeting someone new, DO send a photo so they know what you look like, and DON’T arrange to meet them somewhere vague like “at the main entrance” (at Excel, several locations fit that bill)!
• DON’T rely on:
• your calendar app - there’s too much scope for time zone confusion.
• the conference wi-fi - it often gets overloaded
• being able to recharge your phone - bring a power bank (or two!) and don’t forget the cables
• DO be aware that the bar and VIP areas are busy, lively and often very noisy so may not be a suitable venue for some meetings. So if you are planning to do a series of meetings there, you’ll need to get there early to bag a table and bring a colleague so at least one person is always around to reserve it
• DO prepare for your meetings properly. There’s few things worse than meeting with someone who doesn’t know anything about your product/traffic/whatever!
• DO take notes at your meetings so you can follow up on action points later
• DON’T arrange meetings too close together, especially if they are in different parts of the venue. I normally allow 30 minutes between start times so that people being late and meetings that overrun don’t ruin everyone’s schedule for the rest of the day
• DO step out of your comfort zone. Go check out every stand, take in some panels or talks, go to the networking events and strike up conversations with people outside your niche.

• If you attend with colleagues, DO spend some time socialising and team building before and after the conference proper.

Conference wellbeing tips

Finally, self-care during a conference is really important. Here are my tips for pacing yourself and avoiding burnout:

• DO wear comfortable shoes (at Excel, you could be walking literally miles)
• DO stay hydrated! You’ll be able to get water (and other drinks, lots of drinks!) on the show floor.
• DO bring first aid items - painkillers, and a couple of plasters in case you get blisters from all that walking
• DO eat a decent breakfast (either at your hotel or at one of the many food outlets at Excel that open before the show floor does)
• DON’T pack the entire day with meetings and events. Give yourself at least one break so your performance doesn’t suffer by late afternoon.
• DO try to schedule in a bit of downtime between a day on the show floor and an evening event.
• DO find a stand that does good coffee (and espresso martinis if you're hardcore!). You're going to need it on day 2.

And perhaps the most important piece of advice of all:

DON’T OVERDO IT ON THE FIRST EVENING! This is a classic rookie error… and it’s also done at every conference by a whole load of industry veterans (myself included) who really ought to know better!