What’s the best tool for planning global meetings?

Our free Meeting Planner automatically finds the best times for multiple cities.

How do I handle daylight saving time (DST) in recurring meetings?

Use UTC as your internal reference and update calendar invites when clocks change.

What if there’s no good time for everyone?

Rotate the discomfort, record the session, and use async communication (Slack, email, Loom) for non-urgent decisions.

Should I use local time or UTC in meeting invites?

Always include both: ‘15:00 UTC (11:00 EDT / 16:00 BST / 23:00 JST)’.

How do I coordinate with countries that don’t observe DST?

Japan, China, India, and most of Africa/Asia don’t change clocks. Their UTC offset is fixed year-round.

How to Schedule Global Meetings Without the Headache

📅 July 9, 2026 · ⏱ 8 min read · 🏷 Productivity, Remote Work, Time Zones

Coordinating a meeting between New York, London, Tokyo, and Sydney can feel like a logistical nightmare. But with the right tools and strategies, it’s entirely manageable.

The Challenge of Multiple Time Zones

When your team is distributed across the world, finding a time that works for everyone requires understanding:

UTC differences between cities
Daylight saving time (DST) changes on different dates
Cultural working hours (e.g., Spain lunch at 14:00, US at 12:00)

Golden Rule: The 4-Hour Window

Aim for a 4-hour window where everyone is in reasonable working hours (8:00-18:00 local). For transatlantic teams, this typically means:

8:00-12:00 US Eastern
13:00-17:00 Europe
21:00-01:00 Asia (avoid if possible)

Recommended Tools

World Time Sync Meeting Planner - Automatically finds the best times
Time Difference Calculator - Compare two cities instantly
World Time Buddy / Every Time Zone - Quick visual overview

Best Practices

Rotate the burden: Don’t always make Asia stay up late
Record the meeting: For those who can’t attend live
Use UTC internally: Avoid confusion between “my time” vs “your time”
Confirm in calendar: Send invite with explicit time zone

Practical Example

Team: San Francisco (UTC-7), New York (UTC-4), Berlin (UTC+2), Dubai (UTC+4), Singapore (UTC+8)

Best time: 15:00 UTC = 8:00 SF, 11:00 NY, 17:00 Berlin, 19:00 Dubai, 23:00 Singapore

Singapore is at the limit but acceptable occasionally. Rotate next week to 12:00 UTC to favor Asia.