Standups are for small teams, e.g. less than 10 members.
IMHO, your 30-35 employees meeting with members of different projects is "all hands meeting", not a standup.
I agree--the only thing these meetings had in common with an effective standup was the standing part.
I remember the exact moment I decided to leave a job. It was when, without a trace of irony, the project manager said “Alright everyone take a seat, it’s time for the standup”.