The Institute of Licensing's (IoL's) stated objectives are set out in the company's Memorandum & Article of Association for the benefit of the public as follows:

• to advance the development, evaluation and recognition of professional skill, technical competency, ethical conduct and practical achievement in the field of licensing and regulatory activity; including their application in the public and private sectors and in the framing and enforcement of laws and regulations in pursuit of prevention of crime disorder and nuisance, the promotion of health and safety, the protection of children and vulnerable people, the protection of the environment and other licensing and regulatory objectives;
• to foster mutual understanding and respect between practitioners and the communities and sectors they serve;
• to develop, encourage and provide certification of related standards, education, training, study, scholarship, communication, consultation, knowledge creation and information dissemination; and
• to provide other activity consistent with the public good in the licensing field.

Training
The IoL is committed to the provision of relevant, timely and affordable training and professional development for members and other stakeholders. Residential and non-residential training courses are organised throughout the year on a range of different subjects to provide the best training opportunities to our members, ranging from basic training aimed at new entrants, to advanced training for established practitioners. Our signature event is our National Training Conference – a three day residential event with a programme designed to maximise benefit to individual delegates. The conference is held annually in November.

Member Benefits
As well as low cost (usually discounted), good quality training opportunities that are available to members across the 11 regions and nationally, IoL members benefit from access to the full IoL website including the extensive online library resource, copies of the IoL's Journal of Licensing, discounted publications and partner discounts.

Publications
The Journal of Licensing is published three times a year, providing up-to-date articles and opinion pieces on topical issues and case law. The Journal is free to Institute members. Individual Members get a personal copy sent to them. Organisations receive a number of copies depending on the size of the organisation.

The IoL has three published books available to purchase.

• Local Government Licensing Law in Scotland – A Practical Guide by Stephen J McGowan
• Sex Licensing by Philip Kolvin QC
• Gambling for Local Authorities 2nd edition by Philip Kolvin QC

News & Communications
In addition to the hard copy publication, the Institute that relevant news items, job vacancies and training courses are brought to members’ attention promptly through its regular email alerts. The news alerts provide an outline of the news item with a link back to the full article (full articles are available to Institute members only).