IoL to play leading role at inaugural CIEH Licensing Conference

The Institute of Licensing (IoL) will play a major role in the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health’s inaugural Licensing Conference on 5 November 2026, with senior IoL representatives and members leading discussions on some of the most significant issues facing the profession. Bringing together licensing professionals, environmental health practitioners and regulatory leaders, the event will explore legislative change, workforce development, partnership working and the future of licensing services.

The conference will open with a keynote address from James Button, President of the Institute of Licensing, who will examine the Institute’s priorities and consider the opportunities and challenges that devolution presents for licensing authorities and the wider profession. His session will set the tone for a programme focused on the evolving regulatory landscape and the role licensing practitioners will play in shaping it.

Legislative change will be a major focus of the day, with Sue Nelson, Director of Policy and Stakeholders at the IoL, contributing to a session examining the key developments expected to affect licensing authorities over the next 12 months. Discussions will cover issues including licensing reform, Digital ID, gambling regulation, the draft Taxi Bill, charity collections and street management, providing delegates with insight into the policy challenges ahead.

The future licensing workforce will come under the spotlight during a panel discussion exploring how the profession is evolving. The session will consider recruitment and retention pressures, digital transformation and changing political expectations, with contributions from Louis Krog, Head of Public Protection at Cheltenham Borough Council and the IoL’s National Communications Officer. Krog will bring both local authority and Institute perspectives to discussions on the skills and support future licensing professionals will need.

Partnership working and professional collaboration will form another key theme of the conference. Delegates will hear how licensing officers can deliver stronger regulatory outcomes by working effectively across services and agencies, alongside discussion of the IoL’s Partnership Charter, its purpose and vision for the profession. The session will feature experienced practitioners including IoL members David Etheridge, Licensing Team Leader at Tewkesbury Borough Council, Mike Smith, Licensing & Community Safety Lead at Guildford Borough Council, Emma Rohomon of Birmingham City Council and Kerry Simpkin of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, highlighting practical examples of partnership-led regulation and service delivery.

With IoL representatives contributing to discussions on devolution, legislative reform, workforce development and partnership working, the conference programme reflects the Institute’s central role in supporting licensing authorities and helping shape the future direction of the profession. Through its policy leadership and the expertise of members working on the frontline of regulation, the IoL will be a significant contributor to one of the sector’s key events of 2026.