2024’s Most Popular Meeting Times: Insights from 1 Million YCBM Users

Ever wondered what the most popular time to meet is? Or which meetings are least likely to be canceled or rescheduled?

You’re about to find out!

We’ve analyzed meeting data from 1 million YouCanBookMe users to uncover valuable patterns and preferences about when people like to meet.

This data will help you approach your meetings more strategically, ensuring they sync up with your team’s workday rhythm and yield real, tangible results.

In this article, we'll walk through our findings after analyzing 174,132 meetings scheduled through YouCanBookMe over a seven-day period. Here's what we found:

What are the most popular meeting times in 2024?

Best times for morning meetings

According to our research, the most popular meeting time is 10 AM—not just for the morning, but for the entire day!

If you’re a fan of morning meetings, you’ll be best off scheduling them mid-morning, between 9 AM and 11 AM, a.k.a. the sweet spot after the start of a traditional workday and before a lunchtime break.

While morning meetings start to spike at 8 AM, meetings at that time are still 57% less popular than those at 9 AM and a whopping 70% less popular than those at 10 AM.

Optimal afternoon meeting times

Not really a morning meeting person? You’re not alone! 

After the mid-morning rush, the number of meetings dips at noon (presumably for lunch), but then it’s full speed ahead.

While the highest surge in meetings occurs mid-morning, afternoons take the lead in total booked meetings.

A staggering 58% of all meetings are scheduled for after 12 PM, indicating a preference for afternoon meetings over morning ones.

The top spot for the most popular afternoon meeting time goes to 2 PM, closely followed by 1 PM and 3 PM.

Scheduling meetings outside of standard working hours

Thinking about scheduling meetings before or after the typical workday?

Given that most people work between 8 AM and 6 PM, let's examine meetings outside that timeframe.

In the 7-day period, YouCanBookMe users booked 4,363 meetings for 7 PM and 1,836 for 8 PM, largely beating the number of meetings planned for early morning. 

Only 347 meetings were booked for 6 AM and 1,397 for 7 AM, indicating a preference for extending work into the evening rather than starting earlier in the day.

Deep dive into rescheduling and cancelation patterns

Now that you know the most popular meeting times, we’ll examine two rates that typically come with many headaches: cancelations and rescheduling.

Let's quickly revisit the topic of 8 AM meetings. Despite not being a preferred time slot, data shows that 8 AM meetings have the lowest combined rate of rescheduling and cancelations of all meetings scheduled between 8 AM and 6 PM. 

This suggests that once people schedule a meeting right at the start of their workday, they’re more likely to commit to it. Meetings scheduled for 8 AM may be less likely to be canceled or rescheduled due to the urgency of topics discussed, which cannot wait until later in the day.

5 Steps to make your meetings more productive 

So why did we go through all the trouble of presenting you with the most popular meeting times? To make your meetings more productive, of course! 

Yet, scheduling meetings at optimal times is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to maximizing meeting efficiency, organization, and effectiveness. Here are the next steps:

1. Only invite relevant participants

Have you ever sat in a meeting, wondering why you’re even there? Our goal is to help you avoid situations like this! Ensure each invitee has a clear role or contribution to make in your meeting to maximize productivity and respect everyone's time. 

2. Create a meeting agenda and stick to it

Effective meeting agendas ensure everyone understands the meeting’s purpose, details, and goals. Depending on the type of meeting, your agenda might be a quick list of bullet points, or it might be more detailed and include timestamps.

3. Use an online booking tool to schedule your meetings

Booking apps, like YouCanBookMe, help you schedule meetings more efficiently without any back-and-forth messages or hassle. If you hold virtual meetings, YouCanBook will automatically create and send virtual meeting links through Zoom, Google Meet, or MS Teams. Scheduling tools also help minimize no-shows by sending automatic meeting reminders to all participants, ensuring your meetings proceed as planned with all essential attendees present.

4. Summarize key takeaways and assign action items

Too often, meetings end without a concrete plan. Before wrapping up, outline what you’re taking away from the meeting and who's doing what next. This action plan will give your team a clear path forward, ensuring your time together wasn't just a talk fest.

5. Follow up after the meeting

After your meeting ends, take those key takeaways and action items and put them into writing. Following up reinforces accountability and keeps the momentum going post-meeting. It also provides an opportunity to address outstanding questions or concerns.

Productive meetings right ahead

Figuring out when to schedule meetings can make all the difference in boosting productivity and teamwork. By tuning into the times when people prefer to meet, you can make sure your bookings hit the mark.

As you juggle your workloads and commitments, don’t overlook the power of good scheduling! Whether it's a lively brainstorm over morning coffee or a catch-up session as the day winds down, each meeting is a chance to make progress and strengthen bonds. With our insights into the most popular meeting times, we hope you can turn your gatherings into meaningful moments that propel you closer to your goals.

FAQ about the most popular meeting times in 2024

What is the most popular time to schedule meetings?

The most popular time to schedule meetings is 10 AM.

What is the most popular afternoon meeting time?

The most afternoon meetings are scheduled for 2 PM, followed closely by 1 PM and 3 PM. 

Are more meetings held in the morning or the afternoon?

According to our data, 58% of all meetings are scheduled for after 12 PM.

Are 8 AM meetings popular? 

While 8 AM meetings are more popular than those scheduled for 6 AM or 7 AM, they are less common than meetings planned for later in the morning or afternoon. In fact, our users scheduled more meetings for every hour between 9 AM and 6 PM than for 8 AM. Despite not being everyone's first choice, data indicates that 8 AM meetings have the lowest combined rate of rescheduling and cancelations compared to meetings scheduled throughout the workday (from 8 AM to 6 PM). This suggests that scheduling meetings right at the beginning of the workday increases the likelihood of participants sticking to them. The urgency of the topics discussed may contribute to this trend, as some matters simply can't wait until later in the day.

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