thriving in the chaos: how modern industrial events turn relationships into revenue
Full Gallant Conversations episode with veteran event producer, Hadley Schaefer is embedded above, listed while you read.
the post-pandemic reset
Business travel returned, but expectations changed. B2B leaders now ask, “Convince me this trip is worth three days away from my team—and my family.” Hadley Schaefer, who has steered everything from Fortune 500 Conferences to Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), argues that the answer no longer lies in badge counts or square footage. It lives in Return on Relationships (ROR)—the dollar value of face-to-face trust that accelerates million-dollar decisions.
from ROI to ROR
“This industry is about an ROR more than it is an ROI.” — Hadley Schaefer
ROI still matters, but it’s a lagging metric. Pipeline hardens only after an exchange of credibility. ROR measures that credibility in real time:
Quality conversations over quantity scans
Follow-up velocity over booth traffic
Human collisions that shorten sales cycles
When planners design for ROR first, logistics shift: fewer back-to-back lectures, more curated micro-sessions, wellness breaks, and flexible spaces where deals spark naturally.
sponsors own their outcome
Hadley’s blunt advice to exhibitors:
State one commercial objective (demo booked, term sheet opened).
Market your presence—email campaigns, LinkedIn POVs, targeted invites.
Anchor every conversation to a metric the buyer already tracks—$/MWh, CO₂e, downtime hours.
If a booth team shows up unprepared, no floor plan can rescue them. ROR is a joint venture between the organizer and sponsor.
internal events count, too
Staff town-halls that feel like broadcast lectures are relics. Employees want transparency and appreciation delivered through experiences as rich as any external launch:
Round-table seats with leadership
Off-site venues that mix learning with recovery (think simulated baseball clinics or paddleboard yoga)
KPI walkthroughs where strategy meets culture
An internal summit executed with the same craft as a customer conference multiplies buy-in when teams return to work.
“thrill in the thrill of chaos”
Hadley attributes her longevity in event production to a mindset: “I thrive in the thrill of chaos.” The takeaway for industrial innovators is clear—great events aren’t orderly by nature; they’re guided through disorder by people who know the mission behind every line item.
Three questions to ask before you sign the venue contract
What single outcome justifies the spend?
How will attendees measure success the day they get home?
Where does the agenda make room for unplanned, high-value collisions?
if you can’t answer all three, keep drafting.
Key sound-bites from the episode
“Market your presence or forfeit your pipeline.”
“You aren’t filling white space—you’re expanding the space you already own.”
“Cupcakes in the breakroom don’t build culture; intentional experiences do.”
Clip these for your team Slack.
listen & act
Play the episode below for the full 35-minute deep dive with Hadley.
Audit your 2026 event calendar—are you investing in relationships or just carpet?
Need a second pair of eyes? Book a Gallant Event-Narrative Review before budgets lock.
Stay thoughtful, stay curious, and turn every gathering into momentum.