Riding similar events in the UK, the things that get people irritated are the things that it is simple, but onerous, to get right. Having too few staff at registration, thus causing ridiculous queues. Sketchy route-marking - a disaster for the cyclist who is tired and ends up riding alone. Feed stations that run out of basic items so the slower riders have to fend for themselves. None of this is rocket science but they all - especially the route-marking - need time and effort to do them well. And for me the ideal route gets out of urban areas as fast as possible and contains enough climbing to make it interesting for the fast guys but not so much that anyone over 150lbs has a cardiac arrest.
Personally I'd forget about post-race ceremonies, but it's a matter of taste.