Break the ice and start taking photos, see outside the box
Everyone has a different perspective.
I usually organize a photography workshop with models in London with up to 4 photographers, and we shoot in turns.
One of the most interesting things is how everyone gets different results even with the same model on the same location. Everyone comes with a different perspective, look, angle, interpretation if you will, and it is a humbling experience because you are always left with the "I would never have come up with that idea"
It kind of teaches you to see things from different perspectives and keep an open mind.
You get to meet a lot of people and network.
Truth be told, the lot in photography is a really nice one, there is of course the odd exception but those are honestly so rare.
The opportunities to network are great, from photographers to models, actors, places....
It is always good to connect on social media if you are going professional but from my perspective as instructor it is also invaluable to see how people's work progress trough time, specially those that are the most active see the most progress.
Photography brings you closer to beauty.
When you take your camera, you either photograph something pleasing or get the beauty out of an odd subject in some sort of way.
If you photograph people on a photography workshop you will likely shoot with a model, actor.... and ultimately you want to be able to get the best out of anyone through the use of light, pose, expression and the history behind them.
Let's say you do landscape, then you go to a beautiful place when the light is at its best, the experience alone of being there is all worth it. If you are in an ugly spot then you look for the beauty of it, hence you are forced into beauty.
Get out of bad habits and beginner mistakes faster.
It is a funny and very interesting thing that in any given genre we all do the same mistakes when we are starting out, for example on portraiture is getting the vast majority of photos as headshots and way too tight, just a head, no shoulders.
I did that too! But in a workshop you could be told and, you will be able to get out of that habit faster instead of beating around the bush for longer than necessary.
Another one that got my head around when starting out is why so many of my photos were out of focus, even splashing cash at new lenses to see if it goes away, little did I know in detail about depth of field connected to focal length and minimum recommended shutter speeds, took me months to find out and on a workshop could have been solved in a single day with the right instructor by just asking.
I could go on and on....
You might other ways not do it
Photoshoots takes considerable planning, initiative and experience. That's a barrier to entry if you are just starting out, you may want to see how it is done before you take the lead to organise your own.
Likewise, you might have all it takes but have a busy life with responsibilities to attend, on a photography workshop the organisation is done for you, and you only need to worry about showing up.
Photography as a whole is good for mental health.
I am of the opinion that photography is to mental health like doing sports is to your physical health, and it hides many parallels to philosophical though like the value of patience, the rewards of planing and so many more that it teaches you along the way.
But remember that this applies as long as you don't stress your credit card on a gear rampage. Never, never expend more in photography than you are comfortable with, but that is a topic for another day.
Photography workshops get you out of the house in a healthy way.
When we do our photography workshops we go usually go outdoors, we walk but we don't sweat it, just a reasonable amount.
You get to meet people and have a good time, basically you get to disconnect from the day-to-day life and get a breeze of fresh air, specially now when so many of us work from home often is important to get out and about.
You can speed up the learning process considerably.
Being pointed out in the right direction and avoiding having to figure things out on your own will save you so much time.
If there are no sponsors, there is no conflict of interest.
Many free resources to learn photography and sponsored events will be free or cheap for what they offer, but they will endorse a product that you might not need or have higher specs than necessary for your use.
Keep in mind that photography can be way cheaper that it might seem, if your photography workshop has no sponsors it is a good place to ask about acquisitions before making a decision as is backed by experience and in workshops one gets to see many different products at work.
To learn photography tailored to your needs is the faster way.
The bigger the classroom the less efficient it becomes simply because it has to be a one size fits all, however we are all so different and our preferences, likes, skill and goals diverge. The smaller the group, the more efficient your learning process becomes. One on one being the ideal scenario.
Get instant feedback.
Get qualified feedback for your photography and set to sail in the right direction straight away. Remember that feedback is only valuable when requested from the right source and within contest of what you are trying to achieve.