Time Zone Question

[Sean_Lake1]

Quick question.

I have a series of classes and I’m trying to display as well as track multiple time zones as our courses are led by different instructors across various timezones, so we list all three that we deal with.

What would be the best way to deal with this(also so that Google Calendar will recognize it)
Right now I just have them set up as text fields.

Is there a way for it to display timezone based on the user’s(like myself) ?

I want it to show up in a calendar properly in my time zone(PST). I’ll just let the pic show you what I mean :).

[ScottWorld]

Hi @Sean_Lake1,

I created a training video & sample base that will help you solve this dilemma:

Airtable

Time Zones: Working with multiple different time zones in Airtable - Airtable...

This Airtable base solves the problem of events taking place in different time zones, and users wanting to know what time those events are taking place in...

[Sean_Lake1]

Thanks Scott!

I’ll have to mull over this to see how I want to implement it into our workflow. I know that the person that sets up these schedules is on the East Coast, and I want to make it:

• easy for her to enter the time.

• Display the other timezones(PST and GMT)

Show up on the Calendar with only one timezone, the user’s time zone.(not sure how this will work)

[ScottWorld]

You’re welcome! Glad I could help! :slightly_smiling_face:

[Sean_Lake1]

Question on that marvelous table!

So you have

Official Time of Event listed first, and it’s set to GMT to on. and then you have Actual GMT of Event, then user’s Local Time of Event.
the first field confuses me, as I’m trying wrap my head on how I’d do the same thing for listing our three different time zones for our own table for the one course, and not in different locations as yours show.

I have the training date, without a time in there, and then the three different timezones as real times. but I’d want to make those the calculated formulas, correct? and then each field directly minus the offset(so I’d have to have an offset field, right)

Sorry, just trying to wrap my head around this.

Thanks!

[ScottWorld]

Here’s the tricky thing to keep in mind: Whenever you turn OFF that GMT button, Airtable will ALWAYS translate the time to your own local time zone.

So, whenever you want to see a STATIC TIME that doesn’t change, you always have to turn ON that GMT button — even if you don’t plan on using GMT time.

So then, it’s just a matter of creating formulas (with that GMT button turned on) to display the static time that you want to see.

In your case, since you already know in advance the 3 different time zones that you want per record, you could just go as simple as typing in the official GMT time of the event (with GMT turned on) into a normal Date field.

Then, just create 3 simple formula fields that simply add or subtract the appropriate number of hours from the Date field. You will use the DATEADD function to do this. Make sure that all 3 of these formula fields have GMT turned on.

So, in your case, you don’t even need to get involved with the SET_TIMEZONE function. You can just keep it very simple by creating 3 simple formulas.

[Sean_Lake1]

YES! Thank you! That makes sense. I was getting co fused as I’ve seen there are Locale formulas as well. So would the “user” then just enter the GMT time and then Id have formulas for the east and west coast?

Thanks again for your help.

Sean

[ScottWorld]

Yes, that’s what I would do! Make sure all fields have GMT turned on.

[Sean_Lake1]

I guess my next question would be, for the calendar :date: feature, what field would I use? The actual date with the GMT time and date entered would be what I’d use to generate the calendar? Is there a way to have the start and end times in the calendar without having to enter that in the calendar itself? In other words id I have fields for that would the calendar recognize it and would it be local to each person seeing it? Peeps in NC see their time for the course, peeps in London, etc?

[Sean_Lake1]

YES!!! Thanks, buddy!