Events aren't as scale-able, but they've got way higher conversion to actual interviews. When you meet someone in-person, you're not as easy to ignore, and you get a lot more time to express what you're trying to research.
Here are a few places you can find local in-person events to attend:
Kinda obvious, but you would be shocked by how many people use Facebook for events beyond parties. This is especially good for interest/hobby based get-togethers.
Highly trafficked for hobby-based events, and its search engine is easy to use. You likely won't find anything professional on here, but it's a great resource.
Almost everything is hosted here - and the search engine is easy to use and sort by location. Tends to be less casual events, but you'll likely be able to find what you're looking for. Just pop in what you're looking for, and you'll find a whole lot.
Use google for conferences or larger scale events that might not be highly advertised elsewhere on other, smaller platforms like the ones I've listed above.
Beyond that, I can't give scripts for an in-person conversation. Just start meeting people, network as best you can, and follow up with anyone that fits the type of customer you want to interview.
Ideally, follow up to an in-person conversation within a day, otherwise, people will forget who you are and you'll lose the benefit of that in-person conversation.