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Liverpool’s Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) has appointed Annie Brown as its new chair, with Mark Tasker named deputy chair, as the organisation enters its next phase following the introduction of the city’s overnight visitor levy.
Brown, general manager of the Municipal Hotel, succeeds Marcus Magee after previously serving as the inaugural chair of Manchester’s Accommodation BID. She brings more than 20 years of international hospitality experience to the role.
Additionally, Tasker, general manager of Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre, becomes deputy chair, bringing more than three decades of experience across Liverpool’s hotel sector. The pair replace outgoing chair Marcus Magee and vice chair Steven Hesketh, who played key roles in establishing Liverpool’s specialist tourism model.
Managed by Liverpool BID Company on behalf of the city’s accommodation providers, the ABID was created to boost weekday occupancy and overnight tourism. In June 2025, Liverpool’s hotel industry voted to introduce a £2 overnight visitor levy to fund destination marketing, partnerships and major events.
Brown said: “Liverpool is an incredible city, and its hospitality sector is one of the most vibrant and ambitious. I am excited to be taking this role and thank our previous chair and deputy chair for their hard work and commitment in this first stage of the ABID. Working with partners in tourism across the Liverpool City-Region I am looking forward to seeing how we can help to develop Liverpool’s role as a world-class destination, with a hospitality industry to match.”
Tasker added: “Having spent more than three decades in the hospitality industry, and much of my career working within Liverpool, I have seen first-hand the transformation of this city into one of Europe’s leading destinations. Three years ago, Liverpool became the first city in the UK to establish an operational Accommodation BID, demonstrating the ambition, innovation and collaborative spirit of our hospitality sector."
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said: “Both Annie and Mark bring a wealth of hospitality experience. They also both come from a working culture built on the spirit of partnership and co-operation, which is so vital for a city economy to thrive."
