road works at Dockyard.

Ed Williams, development manager of West End Development Corporation (WEDCO), said he did not want to jeopardise the reputation of the annual exhibition by holding the event when the venue was not ready.

But he promised a bigger and better boat show next year.

Mr. Williams said organisers had planned for the event to take place at the end of April.

When they discovered it would clash with the Island's Agricultural Exhibition, they looked at the possibility of finding a different date for it to take place.

But he said: "We could have gone for an alternative date and we did start to look at that, but we thought it would be a better option to put it off altogether.

"We simply could not guarantee that a lot of the areas we would need would be clear. We knew we had to cancel.

"The priority is getting the roadworks finished and the Dockyard put right in time for the first of the regular cruise ships that will arrive in the second week of May.

"I don't think it will damage show long-term. We anticipate that we will have a bigger and better show next year.'' He said since the show began nine years ago, it had become more and more popular with exhibitors, so a lot of space was now required for it to be held successfully.

Next year, he said, the space would be available.

Mr. Williams said the roadworks were being carried out behind and to the side of the Clocktower Building to clear the area at the front of traffic and to provide an alternative route.

But he said the works were held up because there were few plans of the area and problems arose that contractors were not necessarily anticipating.

But he was confident the area would be ready by the deadline of May 8.