Ok I know I'm a little late to the party but I thought I might offer some perspective here.
This is our first year at CEA and I was so confused about what X Evolution was. I was told it was showcase #2, I was told it was an American idol style competition, and several other variations. This is what I took away from it..
While they do group the teams together (like all senior 3s, junior 2s, etc) they do not place them. They offer trophies to outstanding individuals (amazing performance, perseverance during struggle, etc.. There is not a specific award, the judges are just given trophies and can award them for whatever they deem appropriate) and recognize the strongest tumbling and stunting within those divisions. There was no 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
We haven't been there long enough for me to know who the judges were. Some of them were coaches.. I recognized one as Brandon, the stunt coach from Salem. At one point, CSP was sitting up there as well. They offered critique and encouragement to every team immediately following their specific performance and then did the awards at the end of the division groups. (Usually every 3-4 teams)
There is a big emphasis on the individual competitions they hold as well. They offer individual events for group and coed stunting, best double down, best basket, individual tumbling passes grouped by age from level 1 thru elite level 5 (short passes with 3 or less skills and long passes) best jumps and dance. I cannot speak for other locations but Kernersville was very strongly encouraged to enter everyone in atleast one thing. Droplet did a stunt with her GP stunt group as well as some individual passes and had a great time doing it. She didn't win (well, her GP stunt group won best double down because they are that awesome!) but didn't feel beaten down or discouraged.
This is a fun day for the kids. There was a barbecue done by one of the worlds teams. Everyone gets a tshirt. Just like most things put on by CEA, it was a family atmosphere and experience. Very different from showcase, where they just run through all the teams and then it's over.