Why Scheduling International Meetings Is Hard
When your team spans New York, London, and Seoul, finding a single meeting time that works for everyone feels impossible. A 9 AM call in New York is 2 PM in London and 10 PM in Seoul — someone always ends up joining at an inconvenient hour.
The good news is that with a reliable process and the right tools, you can minimize friction and find workable windows consistently.
Step 1: List All Participants and Their Time Zones
Before opening a calendar, write down every participant's city and UTC offset. Remember that UTC offsets change during daylight saving time (DST), so always check the current offset, not just the standard one.
- New York: UTC-5 (EST) / UTC-4 (EDT)
- London: UTC+0 (GMT) / UTC+1 (BST)
- Seoul: UTC+9 (KST, no DST)
- Sydney: UTC+10 (AEST) / UTC+11 (AEDT)
Step 2: Map Each Time Zone's Business Hours
Shade in the 9 AM–6 PM window for each participant on a shared timeline. Where those windows overlap — even partially — is your meeting opportunity zone.
For New York + London + Seoul, the only realistic overlap is early morning New York time (9–10 AM EST = 2–3 PM GMT = 11 PM–midnight KST). Seoul participants will always be outside standard hours in this trio.
Step 3: Use a Time Zone Overlap Tool
Manual math leads to mistakes. Use a timezone overlap finder to visualize the grid instantly. TimeFYI's world clock view lets you pin multiple cities and scan across hours at a glance.
Step 4: Rotate the Burden
If no perfect window exists, rotate the inconvenient slot. Week one, Seoul joins at 10 PM. Week two, New York joins at 7 AM. This fairness principle builds team goodwill over time.
Step 5: Send Calendar Invites with Explicit Time Zones
Always include the time in at least two formats in your invite: the sender's local time and UTC. Example: "3:00 PM KST / 06:00 UTC". This prevents the single most common scheduling mistake — DST transitions that silently shift meeting times by one hour.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting DST transitions (US switches in March, Europe in late March, some countries never)
- Assuming "morning" means the same urgency level everywhere
- Not accounting for lunch hours and local customs
- Booking recurring meetings without reviewing DST impact twice a year
Quick Reference: Popular City Pairs
Seoul–San Francisco overlap: 9–10 AM KST (6–7 PM PST prior day). Seoul–London overlap: 5–6 PM KST (9–10 AM BST). These are tight windows — plan agendas in advance to make every minute count.