Facilitator supplies are the small things that make group work run: sticky notes, markers that write thick and do not bleed, cards, dot stickers for voting, masking tape and a timer. Run out halfway through a workshop and the energy goes. A kit per table, packed and delivered to the venue, saves the facilitator a trip to the shops. Tell us how many tables or groups, what goes in each kit and where to deliver, and we pass your request to independent stationery and office suppliers in your area, who quote you directly. The request is free.
What goes in a workshop kit
- Sticky notes in three or four colours, the larger size for writing a full idea
- Markers: chisel tip, water based, for sticky notes and flip charts
- Index cards or coloured cards for sorting and clustering
- Dot stickers for dot voting on priorities
- Masking tape or putty that the venue allows on its walls
- Name tags, pens and scissors
- A timer, and a bell or chime to call groups back
How much to order
Ask your facilitator, who will know how much their methods use. As a rough start, many facilitators plan one kit per breakout group of 5 to 8 people, a few pads of sticky notes per person for a full day of workshop work, and a sheet of dot stickers per person for voting. Strategy days with sticky note walls, World Café rounds or Open Space use more. Order a little extra rather than run out in the afternoon.
Delivered to the venue
Many suppliers pack kits per table and deliver to the office or straight to the conference venue, the day before the session. Give the venue address, a contact person and the room. For a regular training programme, ask about a monthly order or a stock kit that is topped up after each course. Check the venue's rules on tape and paper on walls, and bring a cleanup bag.
Quality that matters on the day
Cheap sticky notes curl and fall off walls; good ones hold for a full day, which matters when a sticky note wall is the record of the session. Markers should be readable from three metres away. For hybrid sessions, add good lighting and a camera on the wall so remote delegates can see the paper.
Load-shedding does not stop a paper-based workshop, which is one reason many facilitators keep a full kit even when they also use an online whiteboard. After the session, photograph every sticky note wall and flip chart sheet before the cleanup, so nothing is lost for the write-up. For a team that runs workshops often, a reusable box with a checklist inside the lid makes it easy to see what to reorder after each session, and keeps the scissors, timer and chime from going missing.
What to include in your brief
- Number of groups or tables
- What goes in each kit
- Once-off event or a regular order
- Venue address, room and contact person
- Delivery date, the day before is safest
Workshop and Facilitator Supplies for business, government and communities
- Companies and head offices: kits per table for strategy days, leadership programmes and planning workshops
- Government departments and municipalities: supplies for APP sessions, imbizos and departmental workshops
- Schools, colleges and universities: kits for staff development days and learner leadership camps
- NPOs, churches and community groups: low-cost supplies for NPO planning days and community workshops
- Small and family businesses: a single box of sticky notes and markers for a team planning day
- Mines, plants, factories and farms: kits for supervisor training and problem-solving sessions on site
- Event organisers and associations: kits for every breakout table at a conference or indaba
- Training and skills development providers: a monthly supply order for courses run at several venues
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell workshop supplies yourselves?
Can I get kits packed per table?
What markers should I use on sticky notes?
Can supplies be delivered outside the metros?
Workshop and Facilitator Supplies by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg