BII national conference offers licensees a practical guide to licensing reform
25-Jun-2003
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) is holding a one-day national conference to help licensees cope with the transition to the new licensing regime.
The event, which is being sponsored by drinks giant Diageo, Sky’s Pub Channel and leading law firm Poppleston Allen, will offer step-by-step guidance on how to comply with the new licensing laws including detailed workshops on how to fill out applications for the new personal and premises licences.
It aims to tackle confusion and misinformation about how the new system will work in practice and will guide delegates through the paperwork they will need to complete.
The new licensing bill is due to receive Royal Assent next month (July) and there will then be a transition period of between 12 and 18 months when all licensees will be required to register their existing permissions and apply for any variations under the new system.
It is hoped that the national conference will arm them with the information and guidance they need for the changeover as well as offering them the opportunity to raise any questions or issues they have.
The conference will be held on September 1 at Warwick University and is open to both BII members and non-members.
The morning session will feature presentations from BII Chief Executive John McNamara, legal experts Suzanne Poppleston and Jeremy Allen from law firm Poppleston Allen and Patrick Crowley a licensing officer from Kensington and Chelsea in London.
During the afternoon, delegates will be split into smaller groups for workshops on the new premises licence, led by a team of lawyers from Poppleston Allen, and on the new personal licence, led by BII staff and licensing experts.
Every delegate will also receive a written outline of the event with guidance they can take away with them for future use.
Sky will be filming the conference for two programmes to be screened on the Pub Channel, which is available free to Sky Business subscribers. These programmes will also be available to buy on video after the event to help licensees who were not able to attend or want to explain the new system to their staff.
The national conference is running in conjunction with a series of seven regional roadshows organised by the BII to offer an overview of licensing reform and is likely to be over-subscribed so licensees are being advised to book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets are £40 (plus VAT) for BII members and £75 (plus VAT) for non-members. To book your place now call Claire King on 01276 417825 or book online at www.bii.org and click on the events bookings section.
John McNamara, Chief Executive of the BII, said: "This is a must-attend event for every licensee. The conference will act as a guide to the new system and will also offer licensees the opportunity to ask the experts any questions they may have before they have to start making applications to their local authorities. The BII pledges to help its members by providing the essential information they need to run
successful and profitable businesses and this is another example of the kind of innovative events and initiatives we use to do just that."
Jeremy Allen of law firm Poppleston Allen said: "We are delighted that the BII chose Poppleston Allen to provide helpful yet practical advice to their members on how to obtain a new licence. We have grown to be the largest licensing team in the country on the back of our reputation for providing practical commercial solutions for our clients business."
Notes to Editors
The BII is the professional body for the licensed trade. It has around 15,500 members and last year BIIAB processed over 80,000 qualifications. Its mission is to promote high standards of professionalism throughout the licensed retail sector; to encourage new entrants into the industry, and to help them develop their long-term careers. To provide all our members with high quality information, skills and qualifications to help them succeed in their business activities.
Ref: ES/BII/PR0699
Email: erica@bii.org
Contact: Erica Snedker, Communications Executive on 01276 417805 or Caroline Nodder, Corporate Communications Manager on 01276 417838/07855 841216.
