Set up in 1944, the Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) is a publicly-owned organisation, funded by the sale of alcohol and hospitality services in Invercargill. Run by an elected Board, the ILT currently employs nearly 650 people, and is therefore a significant part of the city’s economy, returning approximately $22 million to city businesses in the last year through the purchase of local goods and services.
 
Each and every Invercargill resident is an owner of the ILT, which means everyone in Invercargill is responsible for the world-class facilities and the hundreds of organisations which benefit from funds distributed by the Trust.

The ILT operates 26 businesses in the hospitality industry in Invercargill and the South Island, including hotels, motels, restaurants, bars and retail liquor outlets. Their approach to business activities is guided by the principles included in its Mission Statement, which is:

• To provide quality accommodation, food, beverage and entertainment facilities for the residents of, and visitors to, Invercargill.
• To provide an effective and efficient corporate structure to ensure that our products, services and facilities are maintained to the highest standards ensuring continued profitability and thereby creating ongoing benefits to the local community.

A key objective of our Trust is to contribute to our community in a number of important ways. These include:

Donations and Sponsorship:
The Invercargill Licensing Trust along with the ILT Foundation provides donations and sponsorships of approximately $10 million annually to nearly 500 organisations during the year.

Promotion of Conferences and Special Events:
The Trust actively promotes conferences and seminars and provides both financial and personnel support to those organisations hosting Conferences/Seminars in the City. We also help attract events to the city through funding and by providing personnel and expertise to local groups. This activity benefits our city and many organisations as well as the Trust itself.

Promotion of the Southern Region:
The Trust actively promotes Invercargill and the southern region of New Zealand as a tourist and conference destination to the benefit of us all. We continue to participate in promotions and travel shows both in Australia and New Zealand as well as serving on promotional bodies to ensure we contribute to the marketing of our region.

Sport and Recreation:
Our Trust supports nearly every sport played in Southland as well as funding professional coaches in many sporting codes. This enables those sports to develop infrastructures that benefit thousands of young Southlanders. The leading role the Trust adopts in assisting and promoting high profile sports such as the Southern Sting Netball Team and Rugby Southland are well known.