Hi,
There is this little article in Inc. about the benefits of meeting people in person:
http://www.inc.com/rene-siegel/five-reasons-you-need-to-meet...
The author, Rene Siegel, is the owner of http://www.htconnect.com, which looks relevant for your SO skills.
In the end of the article she invites the readers to a kind of a meetup in Faz Restaurant lounge in Pleasanton - it may be worth your SO time.
Good luck!