Some of the same people calling foul play, are the ones that attend meet-ups over and over, so in that respect, I think their gripes are unfounded because at least they were able to participate in the first place. I have always thought that they should be one and done for those that sign-up. I feel that newbies to the meet-ups can benefit more, although I heard that the Princess meet-up barely had any speaking time with Jeff Galloway and he didn't even speak to the crowd. That is what I believed the biggest benefit to the meet-ups to be. He is an amazing guy and can turn any non-runner into someone who finishes races instead of one race. I have attended his seminars and the interaction you have with him during those are so much better.
Most of the spots are now for the media. Bloggers, websites, newspapers, and the like. In the beginning, it was more of an event for runners participating in the races and I think that made more sense. But, we are in a world full of social media, so I see where they are coming from on both sides. I really wish they would randomly draw people. That does seem to be the most fair because not everyone is a fan of twitter, facebook, and blogs.