The first event spends a lot of your attention on uncertainty.
You are working out where to stand, who the host is, how the group behaves and whether you feel comfortable. That leaves less attention for remembering names or noticing who you naturally get on with.
The next event removes some of that load because the format and at least a few faces are no longer completely unknown.
Recognition is one of the simplest building blocks of adult friendship.
Seeing the same person again creates an easy opening: you already share the previous event. A conversation can start with something that happened last time instead of another round of introductions.
That repeated low-pressure contact is difficult to create if you choose a completely new group every week.
You do not need to repeat the exact same activity.
A community can create familiarity across different walks, city days, gaming sessions or other social plans. The recurring thing is the people and the shared space, not necessarily the event format.
That is why an online community between meet-ups can help: names stay visible between real-world plans.
Going back is not a rule if the first experience genuinely did not suit you.
There is a difference between normal first-event nerves and a group whose culture, pace or behaviour simply does not work for you. Repetition helps friendship only when the environment is one you actually want more of.
You are allowed to try another plan, another format or another community rather than forcing yourself to become comfortable somewhere that feels consistently wrong.