You have a point here. As one of the winners, I'm happy they chose me and I'm obviously not going to complain, but I do wish they'd at least done the wild-card draw so someone randomly got picked for nominating. When I found this contest, I admittedly got all excited and did not read the terms and conditions right away, hoping more nominations would get me to Steemfest. I did ask for people to support me with a nomination (if they like my music), and I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to do so. I'm over the moon thrilled to be going to Steemfest, and look forward to meeting you.
That said, consistency is important to build trust and I can absolutely understand why people are frustrated by the way things turned out. I think it's wonderful that Steemit Inc offered up these tickets, but feel for anyone who's hopes were crushed. I'd be pretty disappointed if I weren't chosen. Hopefully they will be more clear about how they do things next time.
Wow! I very much appreciate your honest comment! I definitely look forward to meeting you @katrina!