Steve,
Yes you could do this and without much code at all.

First question would be do you want this code to run inside PPT or
inside Excel? Assuming it is in PPT.

Then, create an event for the first slide. see
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00741.htm for that.

Then modify the following code to activate the Excel workbook and
check the cells you want for either IsBlank or IsEmpty or some other
criteria and set the slide to hidden = true or false based on that.

Private Sub cmdExcel_Click()
   
   'Check if an instance of Excel is running. If so obtain a
reference to the running Excel application
   'Otherwise Create a new instance of Excel and assign the XL
application reference to oXLApp object
   On Error Resume Next
   Err.Number = 0
   Set oXLApp = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
   If Err.Number <> 0 Then
       Err.Number = 0
       Set oXLApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
       If Err.Number <> 0 Then
           MsgBox "Unable to start Excel.", vbInformation, "Start
Excel"
           Exit Sub
       End If
   End If
   
   On Error GoTo Err_Handler
   
   'To Make Excel App visible
   oXLApp.Visible = True
   
   'To Open a New XL Workbook
   If oWb Is Nothing Then
       Set oWb = oXLApp.workbooks.Add
   End If
   
   'Include necessary code here by preceding oXLApp to refer to the
Excel object
   'and oWb to refer to the Excel Workbook object
   
   Exit Sub
   
Err_Handler:
   MsgBox Err.Description, vbInformation, "Start Excel"
End Sub

This code was written by Naresh Nichani, an Access MVP to demonstrate
how to control other Office applications from PowerPoint. Steve
Rindsberg will probably post the entire set of code on the PPTFAQ,
shortly after I send it to him.

Brian Reilly, MVP