Have you ever received a “meeting request” or calendar invitation via email? I send them often, since they’re a really handy way to get meeting information into calendars belonging to other people.
Unfortunately, for any one of a variety of reasons, invitations might not work. For instance, email systems might block them, or receivers don’t have calendar software that accepts meeting requests.
Such problems are beyond a sender’s ability to solve, but don’t let them discourage you from using calendar invitations. They save you time in the long run, much like the tips in this previous post about online calendars.
Check out these videos from YouTube that explain how to handle different calendar invitation-based tasks. If you use a different version of the software shown, search for instructions on that version. (Video instructions abound on YouTube.)
Accepting a meeting request (Outlook 2010)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh5bVIxCSuE
Scheduling, updating and cancelling meetings (Outlook 2007)
Creating a meeting (Apple iCal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDtjoYEFrsg
More calendar tips
Use the notes field in a calendar entry to keep (and share) relevant information for that event. For instance, calendar notes can hold:
- meeting agendas
- webinar signin information
- attachments (sometimes in a different field)
Need to change details (e.g. time, meeting place, agenda, etc.) and ensure everybody else knows about the changes? Making those changes in your calendar ought to make your computer send an update to other event attendees. (If it doesn’t, check your settings or speak to an administrator.)
Note that if you didn’t create the event, you might not be able to change it.
Great information, Luigi. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Luigi. My friend is having problems. Her secretary uses PC outlook 2013 (was updated recently). She create an appointment and send to her as an invitation. She recieves and accept in iPhone or Mac, but if her secretary change any info on this event, this change is not updated on osx calendar. She need to delete and create another invitation.
Do we have a solution?
Thanks for your question. I didn’t realize my blog was read in Brazil!
I haven’t seen that particular problem happen, but then again Office 2013 is very new. I advise the secretary to check the Calendar settings (options) in Outlook 2013. Settings may have changed or been added.
Hi Luigi! Thanks for you answer. In fact, this was happening before the update too. I suggested to update in hope to resolve this issue…
When you invite someone to an event, and after that change some information like location, the event on invited calendar should change too, right? Even cross plataform (win-mac)?
I think the best way is to share a calendar instead to keep sending invitations, right?
Do you think this will resolve this issue? Can my friend stay updated on this situation (windows – mac)
I have a small business to teach and help people with apple products here in brazil. (www.DoctorApple.com.br)
Congrats for your blog!!
Sorry for my english. Tnx!!
A shared calendar using a service like Google would probably do the trick. It isn’t difficult to set up, either, and it eliminates the step of needing to send invitations.
Good luck, and let me know if you want to talk technology.
Ok Luigi! Thanks, man!