The Whanganui Visual Arts Symposium planned for October will now be postponed until next year.
Despite months of work to recruit artists and organise workshops, trustees say they now need more sponsorship to make the event as "sustainable and spectacular" as it should be.
The Visual Arts Symposium Trust (WVAST) beat out five other finalists to win Whanganui's first Dragons' Den competition organised by Whanganui and Partners last year.
Promotion and marketing manager Lyn Cheyne and former Whanganui Events Trust chief executive Kathy Cunningham organised the competition to find an event that would attract more vistors to Whanganui between the months of March and October.
WVAST were given a grant of $15,000 which comprised $7,500 cash and an equal amount in services to launch the symposium.
Initially scheduled for the weekend of October 6 to 8 this year, WVAST trustees Marie Grice and Alys Davidson say they now wish to postpone the event until May or June next year to "garner the full support and resources needed."
Despite support from local sponsors and firm commitments of participation from both local and visiting artists, Ms Davidson said more support is needed to make the event the best it can be.
"All the artists have said they are still on board and people who had booked early bird tickets say they will attend next year.
While a new date has not yet been determined, Ms Grice and Ms Davidson say the hard work of the organising team thus far has established an excellent plan.
"It hasn't been an easy decision to make as we've all been looking forward to it so much" said Ms Grice.
"We really want to do this well and believe working to a later time frame will enable us to achieve this."
One of the symposium's sponsors is Iain Whittaker of Two Monkeys Web Design Ltd who says the postponement is a good call.
"When you do something like this for the first time, you always encounter unforseen roadblocks but I think they are doing a great job and I'm confident they will be very successful."
Kathy Cunningham said she will continue to assist the trust in any way she can.
"They have done so much great work even before they won the Dragons' Den, I'm sure they will do well whenever the event goes ahead."
Ms Davidson said some of the participating artists are relieved to hear of the postponement because of tight time frames with other commitments.
Artists Wi Taepa, Marilyn and Marty Vreede, Pat George, Tatyana Kulida, Jenny Coker, Jackie Ranken, Julie Greig and Morag Stokes have all agreed to provide workshops next year.