Meeting Planner
Available Meeting Times
Time in Different Timezones
Meeting Duration
Meeting Planning Guide
Effective meeting planning is crucial for productivity and collaboration, especially when working with teams across different time zones. Our Meeting Planner helps you find suitable times, convert between timezones, and calculate meeting durations.
1. Finding Suitable Meeting Times
This tool helps you find overlapping working hours between different time zones. It considers:
- Standard working hours (9 AM to 5 PM in each timezone)
- Your specified time range
- The required meeting duration
Practical Example: Team Across Continents
If you're in New York (EST) and need to meet with a colleague in London (GMT):
- Your working hours: 9 AM to 5 PM EST (2 PM to 10 PM GMT)
- Their working hours: 9 AM to 5 PM GMT (4 AM to 12 PM EST)
Overlapping hours: 9 AM to 12 PM EST (2 PM to 5 PM GMT)
2. Timezone Conversions
Convert a specific time across multiple timezones to coordinate with global teams.
Practical Example: Global Announcement
Planning a company-wide announcement at 3 PM EST:
- London (GMT): 8 PM
- Tokyo (JST): 5 AM next day
- Sydney (AEST): 6 AM next day
This helps ensure you choose a time that's reasonable for most participants.
3. Meeting Duration Calculation
Calculate the exact duration between two times to better plan your agenda.
Practical Example: Agenda Planning
A meeting from 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM has a duration of 90 minutes.
This helps you allocate appropriate time for each agenda item:
- Introductions: 10 minutes
- Project updates: 30 minutes
- Discussion: 40 minutes
- Action items: 10 minutes
Best Practices for Effective Meetings
Scheduling Across Timezones
- Rotate meeting times to share the inconvenience of odd hours across teams
- Record important meetings for participants who can't attend live
- Use tools like this planner to find the most inclusive times
Meeting Efficiency Tips
- Set clear objectives: Every meeting should have a defined purpose
- Create an agenda: Distribute it in advance and stick to it
- Timebox discussions: Allocate specific time for each topic
- Limit attendees: Only include essential participants
- Follow up: Send meeting notes with action items and owners
Understanding Timezones
Time zones are regions that observe a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. They are based on longitudinal lines (approximately 15° apart) with variations for political and geographical convenience.
Key Timezone Concepts
- UTC: Coordinated Universal Time, the primary time standard
- DST: Daylight Saving Time, seasonal clock adjustment
- Offset: Difference from UTC (e.g., UTC-5 for EST)
- IANA Timezones: Standardized timezone database (e.g., "America/New_York")
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I schedule a meeting across multiple timezones?
A: Use our "Find Meeting Time" tool to identify overlapping working hours between your timezone and participants' timezones. For more than two timezones, use the "Add Timezones" tab to compare multiple timezones at once.
Q: Why does my meeting time show as the next day in some timezones?
A: When converting times across the International Date Line, dates can change. For example, 3 PM in New York (EST) is 4 AM the next day in Tokyo (JST). Our tool clearly indicates when the date changes.
Q: How do I account for Daylight Saving Time?
A: Our tool automatically adjusts for DST based on the date you select. Timezones that observe DST will show the correct offset for your selected date.
Q: What's the best way to schedule recurring international meetings?
A: Consider rotating meeting times to share the inconvenience of odd hours. Alternatively, find a time that works reasonably well for all (even if not perfect for anyone) and stick to it for consistency.