Oh it's definately a "good ole' boys club" I went to the summit because I ran The Third Age for BFME. And because I'm a head honcho at Revora.net.
But I've pulled my hair out number of times about how EA chooses sites that offer little to the game but because they know EA people personaly, that they become relevant.
Take Derelict Studios for example. They got to go to BFME community summit and didn't even support the game. For EA to give you respect, you have to have something they need and you have to shove it in thier face repeatedly. THEN about a year later, you might be relevant.