[johnnyanmac]

>so niche there's only one company who organises meet-ups and events around that hobby.

If it's that niche that no one else forms groups around it, that sounds like an issue in and of itself.

>If you have a falling-out with either of those people, or their friends - you're going to lose all the social aspects of your hobby, and they're probably going to slander you to everyone they know.

sounds like your average small town experience. People can be cruel, they don't need a company to enable that.