These are time-tested organizations with clear leadership and a clear reputation. They have their own regular events, real projects, they provide real benefits to participants. 2) To what extent the organization is financially open. If it works, has an office, employees, and submits zero or almost zero reports, then it is likely that the activity there is murky. 3) What do they sell? If they sell you access to infrastructure that has clear value to you, then that's fine. If an unknown person "sells" access to the "body" of a great and influential person, then this is an alarm bell, because you will pay a membership fee, but it is not a fact that you will get access. Really serious and self-respecting people are not interested in paying 50-100 thousand rubles to meet those who do not interest them, and even less to solve problems in which they do not see a chance themselves. What mistakes did I make during this meeting? 1) You should have listened to the inner voice that told you not to go there from the beginning; 2) It was necessary to request the agenda and the list of participants in writing from the receiving party. Well, a negative experience is also an experience, and it is important to draw the right conclusions from it.