Thereafter, Planning Committee meetings almost became "events" in themselves. They now had history! Most importantly, they had learned a lot from the opening event. Members were anxious to share anecdotes about what they observed and heard. Emphasis on authenticity became paramount...the music and food must be the most representative of the country being featured. Ideas abounded...and disagreements surfaced. People got loud in their expression...almost frenzied at times. Dilemmas presented themselves too: Could they afford to get the "best" musicians? Could they get contracts signed in time? Did they have time to find people who would prepare authentic dishes in their own homes and bring them to the events? There was discussion–often lively–about how much emphasis should be placed on one country or culture over another. Susan’s effectiveness as a leader was never more evident than during these moments of intense discussion. She provided ample rein, but administered carefully-measured "doses of reality" when appropriate. Fred displayed immeasurable talent in negotiating compromise in cultural differences of opinion.

Early in the planning process, trust had been an issue; could they trust people they didn’t know, to do what they said they would do? But by this time the Planning Committee, while still a "work in progress" was nonetheless a group of people who had executed a highly successful event together. And they all shared a mission: To produce the next three events in the most authentic and professional ways possible. Most importantly, they had become friends; you trust your friends.

As the Saturday event days approached and time became very limited, the committee often had to choose between making a final decision about some important issue during the meeting, or trusting an individual committee member to make a decision unilaterally, according to his best judgment. Without question, with the stakes high, the committee chose to trust each other. For some, it was still "a leap of faith", but undoubtedly a risk worth taking.