This is a question Ive wrestled with for a long time. I had until recently generally avoided any sort of group activity, even declining invitations to do so, for the reasons you raise. One of the first Dommes I saw invited me to a Christmas party she hosted at Her home, and I essentially chickened out. In more recent years, with a lot more maturity and experience, I have come to be more rational about it. A few years ago, just coming out of the covid pandemic shut-in, I met up with a Domme and even before we played, She asked me to take her to a large public party at a bar; I did and just didn't worry and was fascinated and elated. She also hosted small parties at Her home and I attended for a few weeks. It did occur to me that there could be significant negative consequences for me professionally but I had developed some degree of trust in this Domme to look out for me. And that is the key, I think. My Owner now (who is in another city) is one in whom i have developed a great deal of trust and She has introduced me to small group parties in which I feel perfectly safe, because of the trust I have in Her.

So I think for me me that is the key. If there is someone, could be a Domme who brings you or even the host of the event, in whom you have a feeling of trust and confidence, then its a very different feeling. And group events can become really great opportunities to meet and interact with, and perhaps play with, interesting people.

(And yes, I would probably avoid for myself anything public or quasi-public in my home area unless and except my Owner or someone She trusts were to assure me it was a culture that would respect privacy.)