The research, plainly
Colin Moray's dichotic listening experiments: people ignoring one audio channel entirely still snapped to attention when their own name appeared in it. The attention system runs a permanent background search for exactly one word — yours.
The receipt: Moray, 1959
What it means for events
Names are attention technology. The name on the screen, spoken from stage, printed on the seat — each one cuts through the noise of a full day like nothing else can, because every brain in the room is pre-tuned to precisely one frequency.
Where to run it
Personalization moments
Names on walk-in screens, in materials, on deliverables — the cheap magic that never stops working.
From the stage
Speakers who name audience members ('as Sarah's team found…') re-capture the whole room, because everyone's filter perks.
Digital & follow-up
The name in the subject line and the first line — the oldest email lift in the book is Moray's finding, monetized.
Seen in the wild
Related concepts
Now use it
Score your own event against principles like this one — or make the whole vocabulary official.
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