B.C. liquor board officials have barred a body painting event promoter from using a Nanaimo conference centre over concerns about erotic content. (CP)

B.C. government liquor control board officials have barred a body painting contest from the Nanaimo conference centre over concerns about erotic content.

Event organizer Malvern Makuyana of English Entertainment said the liquor officials deemed the event to be adult-oriented entertainment, which is not permitted under the conference centre's family-friendly restaurant-style liquor licence.

Normally, body painting models wear a G-string and nothing else but paint.

In this case, Makuyana said he offered to have the models wear full bikinis.

Makuyana said he is willing to make other accommodations, but the liquor control board won't budge.

"Then the question that we proposed to them was: 'How much clothing does a person have to wear before you would consider it appropriate?' Their response to me was: 'Well, let's just say body painting is inappropriate and let's leave it at that,'" he said.

Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan said he's concerned about the lost revenue for the conference centre, but accepts the liquor board's ruling.

Makuyana said he plans to hold the contest at another venue with a liquor licence that permits adult entertainment.