Hello Blue -- Please keep in mind that whatever I express here is a personal point of view that may or may not have relevance to your situation.

First, it sounds to me like you made the right decision. It sounds a bit like a damned if I do, damned if I don't situation, but you were uncomfortable with what you were doing, and convinced there would not be a positive outcome, so why put more effort in it?

Second, I spent a good part of my 20s and 30s around creative people who were involved in promoting entrepreneurial events, getting together financing to make films, building community playhouses, and so forth. These folks have to be good talkers and carry others along on their tide of enthusiasm. You might even say that enthusiasm is their stock in trade. IMHO, they often don't mean to oversell and lie; it's just that they are cockeyed optimists and huge risk-takers. Those of us (like ME!) who are realists (pessimists in their point of view) and risk-averse may wind up feeling lied to. Perhaps after you process this for a while, you will feel less ripped off and perceive it as a difference in personality type rather than as intentional unethical behavior.

Last, I believe you are doing the right thing to hold your tongue about the things you perceive as wrong about the way they are going about it. If you believed that talking things over would change the course of the event, I presume that you would have done that. I also assume that the other people are too deeply into the project to call it off; that time and money has been invested to the extent that things must move forward. It's really not nice to rain on their parade. I believe you are wise to exercise the self-control you are showing.

Most of the time, we depressives need to learn to both feel and express our true emotions. In this case, writing about your concerns here seems to me -- IMHO -- a safe way to express your feelings. Perhaps you have others in your life who are good listeners in whom you can confide, but be sure that these listeners understand what you confide is confidential and not to relay back to the event organizers.

I hope you will start to feel more positive soon about your prudent and wise decisions.