One of the things that kept me from trying other venues is the fact that I would have to start back at Novice for my elite level dogs. Yes, it would be a fun time with my dogs, but the cost of AKC runs are $22.00 each and Novice usually runs late in the day. So, assuming a perfect Q rate, I would spend a lot of money just to get to the elite level with my dog when I believe that they are beyond the novice/open level. And the fact that most times Novice doesn't start until after noon, it blows my whole day. Yes, the courses are slightly different and there are some tighter turns, but that is nothing that I haven't trained for (or could easily train for). And as far as FAST, well we do well beyond that distance on a novice course so there is no real challenge there.
I would say that if you allowed people to move into whatever level they chose (and they have the option of moving back down) it would help. Like Karissa said, for the games, (tunnelers, TNG) the courses are exactly the same, it is just a difference in time. For weavers, the course is the same, but the weaves are fewer. If they are in elite in other organizations, then they are doing 12 weaves anyway. If they have issues of the dogs turning back into them on a jumpers course, then they know what they have to train for, but they are going to do the same thing in novice or open so what difference does it make?