>Why do people go to these things? Seems I can get more information just doing a Google search for white papers. Are there really good cookies or a keg or something?

Why wouldn't you go to a user group meeting??? You meet people, make connections, and learn from others. Often times the "casual" conversation that happens between people is what you learn from the most. One person may bring up a problem they are facing, another person will answer the question. You learn from sitting there and listening to the conversation. Many user groups meet for lunch or dinner after the meeting and the learning continues for another few hours.