I have been going to face to face meetings for over a year. I found them extremely helpful in the first 5 months and still go on occasion. I think every meeting group is different and it depends on the facilitator. The facilitator of my group is also a therapist, so the meetings have a 'group therapy' feel to them usually. The focus has always been on 'retraining your brain', vs being a powerless individual. Since this follows my own beliefs, it has been helpful in my recovery. SMART is also not an 'abstinence only' program, I have been to meetings where people are trying the moderation approach.
I will be interested to hear how other meetings are.