Yeah it's definitely a balance--the big company-wide meetings can be good for context but could also be too broad in scope. On a couple occasions I've enjoyed medium-sized informal get-togethers with my team, and I can sort of pick people's brains. Just having that social environment means I can sometimes talk one-on-one with folks I would rarely interact directly with otherwise.
Agree, now the challenge is creating the same environment/opportunities in a remote setting!