Gill, the deputy chairman of CSS Stellar and current president of ESCA, had been ill for some time.
Formerly a journalist, TV presenter and commentator, he was headhunted by the Ford Motor Company as marketing manager where, in 1970, he created the UK's biggest corporate sponsorship campaign, which included football, cricket, boxing, show jumping and golf.
He left Ford in 1973 to help found CSS International - the London-based group.
He became vice-chairman of the merged CSS Stellar plc - the largest UK-owned event marketing and management company - which recently floated on the AIM.
Gill stepped down last year as chairman of the European Sponsorship Consultants Association (ESCA), after completing two terms as chairman. He was then unanimously elected its president.
The industry is also mourning the death of Mike Murphy, 51, the former editor of the BBC's Grandstand and Match of the Day TV shows. He died in Dublin of cancer.
