IMO there are at least two types of events.

PRESENTATION Events, where a BTC topic is presented by a person with more knowledge and he or she is able to answer questions from the audience. Could be presenting a BIP, a wallet, p2p bot, etc.

BITCOIN & BEERS Events, where the main goal is to socialised with others peers. Where P2P trades and sharing information could take place as well.

I'd rather go to a Presentation event, where I could learn something new than participating in a social one. I don't feel networking or talking too much is my thing...

So, my favorite thing about BTC Meetups are learning.