Meeting Cost Calculator

Introduction

The Meeting Cost Calculator attaches a rough staff cost to a meeting by combining attendance, duration, hourly cost, and preparation time. It makes the time investment visible before or after the calendar slot is accepted.

About this meeting cost tool

Meetings are not automatically wasteful, but their cost is often hidden because the calendar shows time rather than payroll value. A decision meeting with the right people may be worth it; a vague status meeting with too many attendees may not be. This tool helps start that conversation with numbers.

How this tool works

Enter the number of attendees, average hourly cost, meeting length, and preparation or follow-up time per person. The calculator converts total person-minutes into person-hours and multiplies by the hourly cost to estimate the time cost of the meeting.

1. Enter the number of attendees and an average hourly cost.
2. Add the meeting length and any preparation or follow-up time per person.
3. Use the total to decide whether the meeting needs a clearer agenda or smaller invite list.

When to use this tool

Use it when deciding whether a meeting needs an agenda, a smaller invite list, a shorter slot, or an asynchronous update instead. It is also helpful after recurring meetings to show the cost of a weekly ritual over time.

Good to know

• Use loaded hourly cost if you want to include employer overheads, not just salary.
• The tool estimates time cost only and does not measure meeting value.