Liverpool’s Accommodation Business Improvement District (BID) has appointed Annie Brown of the Municipal Hotel as its new Chair. Mark Tasker of the Crowne Plaza Liverpool is Deputy Chair.
The former Chair of Manchester BID, Annie Brown became the General Manager of the Municipal Hotel in 2023. With 20 years of industry experience, she has worked in hotels across Australia, Manchester, London, the Midlands and Scotland. She was the first chair of Manchester’s ABID, partly funded by the city’s overnight visitor charge, which Liverpool also operates and now leads the city’s first five star hotel.
With more than 30 years’ experience in hospitality, Mark Tasker has spent much of his career leading some of Liverpool’s most recognisable hotel brands. Currently General Manager of Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre, he is widely respected for driving operational excellence, commercial growth and exceptional guest experiences across the city’s hospitality sector.
They replace Marcus Magee, who was Chair and Steven Hesketh, Vice Chair, both leading figures in Liverpool’s hotel and hospitality sector who step down from their roles. Both were instrumental in developing the strategy for an Accommodation BID in Liverpool and leading the sector through the changes in bringing it into focus and operation.
Liverpool’s Accommodation BID is managed by Liverpool BID but operated by the city’s hotel and accommodation providers. It was established to improve weekday occupancy and overnight stays. In June 2025, a £2 overnight levy was voted for by the hotel industry in the city to help invest in events and partnerships to increase visitors to Liverpool, particularly overnight stays and support destination tourism.
Annie Brown, Chair of Liverpool’s ABID and GM of the Municipal Hotel says,
“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”.
Mark Tasker, Deputy Chair of Liverpool’s ABID and GM of Liverpool Crowne Plaza says,
“I am honoured to be taking on the role of Deputy Chair at such an important time for Liverpool’s visitor economy. 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. As we enter this next chapter, there is a real opportunity to build on that success, strengthen our overnight visitor economy and continue raising Liverpool’s profile on the national and international stage.”
Bill Addy is CEO of Liverpool BID Company,
“I am delighted to see the strengthening of the ABID Board with two fantastic appointments, chosen by the hotels and industry. 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. As we enter a new chapter in the ABID I am looking forward to working alongside them both”.
