Lets see, I met my first (uh hem) in the smoking area in Junior High. Met my wife in the smoking area at work (many MANY years ago), got jobs in smoking areas, got a few (uh hem's) in smoking areas (well not in the smoking area but made the connection that led to the uh hem's), learned about "insider" company news hours/days before it was released to the rest of the company. And my current job, yup, went from a new-hire to a consulting contractor ahead of 25 other people from the unofficial smoking area out behind the electrical transformer at the main office, it was closer, can't be seen by security, has a nice bunch of shrubs to mask the smoke and ran into the CEO sneaking a smoke. Actually when he cam around the little wall and seen me I was sure I was fired because they have a zero tolerance policy especially at the mother ship. He sat down on another one of the crates and lit up then began a conversation like we had been friends for 20 years.
Yes, the official smoking areas were/are a source of networking long before the internet and social media. But if you wanted the best networking ditch the official designated smoking area and head for the clandestine unofficial area, that's where the others who are there are doing more than one thing they're not supposed to and the level of networking is exponentially better.