Meeting and greeting and making people feel at home is very very important. If you don't do that you have failed. That apploes to the performers, new people or existing audience.

The first visit I made to a folk club in Lincolnshire was at Gainsborough Folk Club. Mr & Mrs Sooz conned me into going LOL :-) and then threw Busy Bee Paul at me to look after me for the night (phew that was an experience he he :-) ) and it all had a very profound effect on me and 5 years later I still cant get away from this bloody Folk thing :-)
Say they hadn't done that,I would have been living in luxury and listening to Little Richard, Jerry Lee lewis, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Eddy Cochran - anybody but that bloody folk world. I would also be sane. chuckle chuckle grin grin..