How to Schedule an International Event

Best Practices for Scheduling Global Events

1. Anchor Your Time in UTC: The single most important step is to choose a time and announce it in UTC. This is the global standard and removes all ambiguity. For example, "The webinar will be held at 15:00 UTC."
2. Provide Key Time Zone Examples: While UTC is your anchor, you should make it easy for your audience. In your announcement, translate the UTC time into a few major time zones relevant to your audience. For example:
   • 15:00 UTC
   • 11:00 AM New York (EDT)
   • 4:00 PM London (BST)
   • 8:30 PM Mumbai (IST)
3. Use a Visual Planner: Before settling on a time, use a Meeting Planner to visualize how your chosen UTC time falls in different parts of the world. This can help you avoid picking a time that is the middle of the night for a large portion of your audience.
4. Include a Conversion Link: In your event description or invitation, always include a link to a Time Zone Converter so that attendees from any location can easily convert the event time to their local time.

Example Announcement

"Join us for our global product launch on October 26! The event will begin at 14:00 UTC. That's 10:00 AM in New York, 3:00 PM in London, and 11:00 PM in Singapore. Convert to your local time here."

Conclusion

By anchoring your event in UTC and providing helpful conversions and tools, you can ensure your international audience knows exactly when to attend, leading to a more successful and well-attended event.