The presentations were held in the Embassy’s Deshima Lounge and were attended by representatives of the embassies of both the Netherlands and Finland. Other members of the audience included representatives of the companies in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward and the town of Mashiko, in Tochigi Prefecture, at which the students served as interns, as well as members of the Japan National Tourism Organization and the Japan Travel and Tourism Association. In addition, representatives of Japan Travel Bureau, Japan Air Lines, and other travel-related organizations were in attendance. Expectations were high, and the students felt plenty of pressure to make great presentations.

The J. F. Oberlin students were divided into two groups, each of which had two tasks:
• To help develop and market a new product for a T-shirt company in Sumida Ward
• To plan facilities to increase Sumida Ward’s appeal to foreign tourists.

Similarly, the Meiji University students were divided into two groups, each of which was trying to raise awareness in Europe of pottery and sake produced in Mashiko and increase the number of European visitors to Mashiko.

The name “VIBE” is an acronym for “new Vision on International and Business-related Education.” The program is supported by the European Union and the Japan Student Services Organization and requires the students to spend time both in Japan and in Europe over the course of one school year.