I also found that in most meeting you do not see professionals. Heck, its hard enough to find people without tatoos and peircings! I went to a few dozen meetings and found that the only place you see professionals are in the meetings that are not listed on the official schedule. Of course, finding out about those meetings is more a matter of luck than anything else.
It did get to the point where I wanted to hear more from people who had obligations toward others. When I finally started working in a profession where I had to advise and care for others, I wished I could hear from others sharing the joys and frustrations of that. It was being responsible in that way that I think really made my recovery possible.
I never heard of a group doing announcements before meetings like Sappling suggested--and in meetings I never heard anyone ever make a personal announcement. I know that 12-step programs want people at meetings to share solutions, not talk about their problems. But I think it is a good idea to let people ask for things that will help them.