Yes, very well said. This is also how we are thinking of re-energizing our meetup acitivities. Have a talk, sure, but also have interactivity, conversation, getting to know each other.
Meetups as places of action, for an active community that generates awareness and solutions. E.g. via hackathons and Idea: Global Awareness Hackathon to boost Awareness Campaigns project, jumpstart crowdsourcing
See also: Plans for organizing Meetups and creating local chapters and this comment.