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How to Schedule an International Event

Scheduling an international event, such as a webinar or global conference call, requires careful planning to maximize attendance and avoid confusion.

Quick Answer

When scheduling an international event, always announce the time in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) first to avoid confusion. Then, use a time zone converter to list the equivalent local times for your key target audiences, like New York, London, and Tokyo. Finally, provide a link to a time tool so attendees can convert it to their own specific time zone.

To schedule a global event, anchor your time in UTC, provide examples for key time zones, and use a visual planner to avoid inconvenient times for your audience. Always include a link to a time zone converter for attendees.

Step 1: Choose the time in UTC

Start by selecting your event time in UTC. This is your single source of truth. For example, "The webinar starts at 14:00 UTC." Do not use a local time as your primary announcement — it causes endless confusion about which timezone you mean.

Step 2: Provide local time examples

List the event time in the local times of your key target audiences. For a global webinar targeting the US, Europe, and Asia: "14:00 UTC = 9:00 AM New York = 2:00 PM London = 10:00 PM Tokyo." This lets attendees quickly check without needing a tool.

Step 3: Include a conversion link

Not everyone lives in New York, London, or Tokyo. Provide a link to a Time Zone Converter so anyone can convert the UTC time to their specific local time. This is especially important for attendees in unusual time zones (half-hour offsets, etc.).

Step 4: Record and share

Record the event and share the recording afterward. This ensures that attendees who couldn't join live (because the time was inconvenient for their zone) can still participate. Include timestamps for key sections so people can jump to what matters to them.