If you work in LnD you’re likely having to use video conferencing. For day to day meetings I use the webcam in my laptop – it’s good enough for general meetings but I wouldn’t dream of using it for most of the sessions I run; for those I’m using an additional webcam at a higher resolution because the experience has to be better for the attendees.

Similarly, my workspace is dark so I have a set of ring lights to make it better for people to see me. They’re fully adjustable and I test and check them out at least 10 minutes before the sessions I run. The area behind my workspace a year ago was VERY untidy so I’ve had a big tidy up and is now more professional.

The standard microphone in a laptop isn’t good enough to provide a good sound experience so I have a couple of microphones that I can use; the choice is made depending on the size of group I’m talking with and how I want to sound.

I use a tripod to hold my phones and tablets so they’re easier to read and don’t get in the way – especially useful for countdown timers and stopwatches so I can keep track of session timings.

If you’re doing any kind of facilitation online, these are the minimum that you need. If you don’t, people WILL switch off, both emotionally and physically.