Everything you need
before the RFP.
A planner's toolkit for St. John's — planning guide, supplier network, team-building ideas, bid assistance, and a live checklist you can send to us when you're ready.
Start with a plan, not a proposal.
Six steps that shape every detail.
Work through the fundamentals — dates, delegates, budget, and delegate experience — before the proposal goes out the door.
Who are the delegates, what should they leave with, and what does success look like for the host organization?
Suppliers we work with every week.
From plated galas for 800 to break-out breakfasts for 30 — and full-production AV with local crews who know the venues by heart. We make the introductions and hold everyone to the same standard.
Chef-led menus, Atlantic ingredients.
- In-house convention centre and hotel catering teams
- Independent chef-led caterers for off-sites and receptions
- Traditional Newfoundland kitchen-party and jiggs' dinner formats
- Dietary, allergy, and cultural menu customization
- Dine-around programs across downtown restaurants
Full-stage production, local crews.
- General session staging, lighting, and LED walls
- Simultaneous translation and multi-language captioning
- Hybrid streaming and remote-speaker integration
- Breakout AV packages priced as a bundle
- On-site show-caller and technical direction
Group tours, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures.
Newfoundland-only experiences that scale from a board of 12 to a delegation of 1,200. Every one of these is delivered by a local operator we've vetted for safety, capacity, and delegate feedback.
Iceberg & whale-watching charters
Seasonal tours out of St. John's harbour with private-charter options for groups up to 100.
East Coast Trail guided hikes
Cliff-top coastal hiking with local guides — half-day and full-day formats.
The Rooms + Signal Hill
Provincial art, archives, and 500 years of North Atlantic history — both bookable as private receptions.
Screech-in ceremony
The classic Newfoundland welcome ritual — perfect opening-night icebreaker.
Studio tours & workshops
Working ceramicists, weavers, and printmakers open their studios for group sessions.
CSR & give-back builds
Pack-a-thons, shoreline cleanups, and local-nonprofit partnerships woven into the agenda.
Help with proposals for conferences or conventions.
If you're the local chapter or committee bidding to bring your national or international conference to St. John's — we build the bid with you. At no cost.
- 01Discovery callUnderstand the parent body's requirements and rotation history.
- 02Venue & hotel holdsSimultaneous holds across venues and hotel blocks for your dates.
- 03Bid bookBoard-ready bid document, budget, imagery, and destination promo video.
- 04Site visitFully-hosted familiarization for your decision-makers.
Financial support may be available.
International and national conferences may qualify for Destination Canada's International Conference Attraction Fund (ICAF) and provincial subvention programs. We handle the applications.
A live checklist you can send us.
Work through the categories below. Items marked Essential are what we need to open a file. Everything else strengthens the response.
Once all essentials are ticked, your file is ready to send.
Event Basics
The fundamentals we need before anything else.
- Essential
- Essential
- Essential
- Essential
Venue & Space Needs
Room-set requirements and square footage.
- Essential
- Essential
Accommodations
Hotel-block sizing and delegate mix.
- Essential
- Essential
Budget & Contracts
Commercial guardrails and terms.
- Essential
Program & Content
Agenda shape and production needs.
Food & Beverage
Meals, receptions, and signature moments.
Transportation
Getting delegates in, around, and out.
Delegate Experience
The moments delegates will remember.
Marketing & Attendance
Attendance-building and on-site content.
A working cadence, month by month.
Six phases, roughly a year out to show week. Deliverables under each phase are the artifacts your DSJ specialist will help produce.
Contracts & holds
Sign venue, hotel-block, and master-account contracts. Confirm subvention.
- Signed venue contract
- Hotel block contracts
- Subvention application
Program design
Lock the program, keynote sourcing, and sponsorship prospectus.
- Program outline
- Keynote shortlist
- Sponsorship deck
Registration open
Launch site, delegate-boosting campaign, and social kit.
- Registration site live
- Promo video
- Social & email kit
Suppliers confirmed
AV, DMC, off-sites, transportation, and F&B menus finalized.
- AV & production plan
- DMC & off-sites
- Signed F&B menus
Operations
Rooming lists, BEOs, run-of-show, and on-site staffing plan.
- Rooming lists
- BEOs approved
- Run-of-show
- Staff schedule
Delivery
DSJ welcome desk on-site, delegate services, and closing recap.
- Welcome desk
- Daily huddles
- Post-event report
Contact a DSJ event specialist.
Send us your checklist, submit an RFP, or just ask a question. A planner will reply within one business day.