Isn't that what meetups are for? In my admittedly limited experience going to meetups, I found that it was a good place to chat with people without major press

Isn't that what meetups are for? In my admittedly limited experience going to meetups, I found that it was a good place to chat with people without major pressure of moving forward. And the cocktail party esque vibe of the meetups I have been to further enhance that idea?