If you read the history of Soviet Union and Chinese communist party, you'd find that they had lots of meetings similar to what you described. The trick, though,

If you read the history of Soviet Union and Chinese communist party, you'd find that they had lots of meetings similar to what you described. The trick, though, is that people made decisions before the meetings, all the negotiations, schmoozing, threatening, cajoling, betrayal, cliquing... They all happened before the formal meetings with more than 4 or 5 people. You use those large meetings for formality, and for observing: who gives you surprises, who is pulling threads, who is bullshitting with a purpose or not. It's a nasty game. The good news is, you may choose not to play it.