CVB congratulates Vermont for ‘Simpsons’ award

Springfield, Vt., won the competition among 14 Springfields across the country. Visitors to USA Today’s Web site could view entry videos from each Springfield and vote on which city most deserved to host the premiere of the movie, based on the long-running TV show. The Vermont town of about 9,000 received 67 percent more votes than it has people.

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, however, says losing the competition isn’t really a loss at all.

“The public relations campaign that accompanied the seven-day Internet viewing of the city’s video entry resulted in media inquiries from the Boston Globe, a Portland, Ore., radio show, a St. Louis television morning show, a French syndicated newspaper, BBC radio, Australian newspapers, (the) Associated Press and Costa Rican radio, among others,” according to a CVB news release.

The CVB said that interviews focused on the city’s positive attributes, including “Route 66, Bass Pro and Brad Pitt.”

The release also said that 20th Century Fox, which is producing the film, will provide an advanced screening for Missouri’s Springfield, though details haven’t yet been announced.