PHOENIX—Complaining of persistent sore throats and missed lead-generation opportunities, attendees at the annual Border Security Expo reported Tuesday that it was nearly impossible to discuss third-quarter procurement contracts. Vendors stated the deafening, high-fidelity screams of a simulated church shooting echoing from a neighboring booth were ruining the trade show's collaborative atmosphere.
PHOENIX—Complaining of persistent sore throats and missed lead-generation opportunities, attendees at the annual Border Security Expo reported Tuesday that it was nearly impossible to discuss third-quarter procurement contracts. Vendors stated the deafening, high-fidelity screams of a simulated church shooting echoing from a neighboring booth were ruining the trade show's collaborative atmosphere.
The auditory terror, which punctuated the otherwise routine hum of the industry conference, originated from the display of VirTra, one of 193 vendors showcasing their products at the Phoenix convention center. The company's V-300 S-Screen Simulator was running a continuous loop of meticulously recorded mass-casualty scenarios, forcing defense contractors to scream at the top of their lungs just to hand out branded lanyards and stress balls.
I was right in the middle of explaining our volume discount on biometric surveillance drones, but the client completely missed the price breakdown because the VirTra guys triggered the hostage execution scenario again.
According to multiple frustrated executives attempting to network on the convention floor, the sheer audio quality of VirTra’s simulated riot—featuring the agonizing wails of real actors reacting to tear gas and blunt force trauma—made it exceedingly difficult to casually exchange business cards. Several attendees attempting to examine the massive tires on a Sherp all-terrain vehicle were forced to communicate entirely through hand signals as the simulated kidnapping scenario reached its shrieking climax.
VirTra representatives defended the volume of their display, noting that the V-300’s premium screaming audio is a key selling point for border patrol agencies looking for immersive, cinema-quality trauma. The booth operators expressed mild irritation that neighboring vendors were more focused on networking than appreciating the crisp, lossless audio of a city street collapsing into violent anarchy. They noted that their engineers had spent months ensuring the panicked sobbing of the simulated victims would bounce perfectly off the convention center's acoustic ceiling tiles.
At press time, convention center staff had politely asked VirTra to turn the mass shooting down by ten percent so the catering team could announce that the lukewarm wrap sandwiches and iced tea were finally ready.