L-R, Bob Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, and Ian Ayre, new chair of the board
The ACC Liverpool Group has appointed former Liverpool Football Club chief executive Ian Ayre as its new chair of the board.
The organization, home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and ticketing agency TicketQuarter, confirmed that he will take over from current chair David McDonnell who is stepping down after seven years in the role.
Ayre stepped down as LFC chief executive at the end of February after 10 years at the club to take over as managing director of German football club TSV 1860 Munich. Prior to this role he was chief executive at Total Sports Asia. He also served as non-executive chairman for the Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy board.
He said: “I am honored to have been appointed chair of The ACC Liverpool Group board as I embark on the next phase of my professional career. It was important to me on leaving Liverpool Football Club to remain involved with the city when my day to day role will now move to Munich, Germany. I can think of no better organization than The ACC Liverpool Group to allow me to continue to make a contribution to the region.
“Its significance to the area cannot be overestimated, particularly for the profile it brings on a national and international scale. I look forward to bringing my own experience of guiding large organizations.”
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “I have no doubt that Ian has the expertise to support The ACC Liverpool Group as it continues its development as one of Europe’s leading conference, entertainment and exhibition venues. I look forward to working with him in this capacity.”
Bob Prattey, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, added: “We are extremely grateful to David who has been a fantastic chair since he was appointed in 2010. Ian is the perfect candidate to take over this role thanks to his comprehensive experience at commercial organizations and high profile venues such as Liverpool Football Club.
“This is an exciting time for us as we head towards our tenth anniversary next year and we are pleased that Ian will join us on the next phase of this journey.”
The ACC Liverpool Group has generated £1.2bn in economic impact to the city region since it opened in 2008. Highlights on the entertainment calendar this year include Bob Dylan, Bruno Mars and the 2017 Gymnastics British Championships. Conferences include BBC Worldwide Showcase, the Royal College of Nursing and NHS Confederation while MCM Liverpool Comic Con is among the large exhibitions.
The complex will be the principal venue and official partner of ‘British Style Collective presented by Clothes Show,’ which is set to take over the city of Liverpool for three days in July. For more info, visit http://www.accliverpool.com.
