Contact: Steve Loucks, CTC
763-744-3797
sloucks@travelleaders.com
Scion of Rosenbluth travel family is also veteran of U.S. Figure Skating and International Skating Union, judging events globally since 1998
Madison, WI (December 27, 2013) – Today, it was announced that Madison-based Protravel Account Executive Rob Rosenbluth has been designated as an official judge for the figure skating competition at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, which will be held February 7-24, in Sochi, Russia. Rosenbluth is one of only 19 individuals in the United States qualified to judge the Olympics; an unprecedented five skating events are scheduled to commence February 6 and conclude February 22.
“Just as the Rosenbluth name is synonymous with travel, so, too, is figure skating with every Winter Olympiad,” stated Priscilla Alexander, President of Protravel International. “While everyone will certainly be cheering the figure skating competition at this year’s games, all of us at Protravel will be eagerly anticipating the scores from our very own Rob Rosenbluth, a veteran of both the travel industry and international ice skating competitions.”
“It’s an extraordinary honor to be serving as a judge at the 2014 Winter Olympics, especially since figure skating is my other great passion alongside travel,” explained Rosenbluth. “I am very grateful to Protravel leadership for their enthusiastic support. Protravel has been instrumental in helping make it possible to manage the demands of my career as a travel professional while balancing the time commitments necessary for being an Olympic-level judge and official. I hope I do everyone proud while in Sochi.”
Rosenbluth’s personal journey to Sochi followed two distinct tracks – one in travel and the other in figure skating. While his two tracks ran mostly parallel, they occasionally intersected.
Born into the famed travel family, his mother enrolled him in skating lessons at the age of 3 “as a form of babysitting.” By the age of 18, in 1981, he received his first judging appointment. Rosenbluth competed as a senior at the 1983 U.S. Championships, and by 1985, he not only earned a silver medal at that year’s World University Games, but he also earned the distinction as the year’s U.S. Collegiate champion.
In 1986, he began working for his family’s renowned travel company, Rosenbluth International. Four years later, Rosenbluth became a national figure skating judge; he then became an international judge in 1997. In 2001, not long after leaving his family’s company, he became an International Skating Union (ISU) judge. Rosenbluth has since judged two World Championships, a World Team Trophy, three Grand Prix Finals, a Junior World Championship and four Four Continents Championships. After concurrently spending a number of years providing consultation within the travel industry, he formally joined Protravel International in 2009 as an account manager working with clients on all their travel needs.
“I feel especially fortunate to enjoy two amazing careers that have blended together so well. The skating events have significantly added to my travel expertise, because they’ve taken me to towns and cities throughout North America, Europe and Asia that I might never have had the opportunity to see and experience otherwise,” Rosenbluth noted. “I’ve always used these opportunities to broaden my firsthand knowledge of hotels, often staying in multiple properties during an event as opposed to staying in the ‘official’ competition hotel – this has enabled me to build strong, long-lasting relationships within the travel industry that ultimately benefit my customers.”
One key intersection of Rosenbluth’s two careers occurred in 1998, when he traveled as a judge with the first U.S. Figure Skating team to visit China; he was specifically selected to participate because Rosenbluth International had just opened an office there, and he was able to assist in facilitating logistics for the team.
“Over the course of the past year alone, Rob’s skating schedule has taken him to Sochi, Moscow, Tokyo, Osaka, Paris, Mexico City and countless cities throughout the United States,” added Alexander. “Those continual journeys have only enhanced his commanding expertise in travel. It’s no wonder Rob has built a very loyal clientele that’s appreciative of his counsel and highly informed recommendations. We’re very proud to have him as part of our Protravel family and wish him every success in Sochi.”
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About Protravel International LLC:
Protravel International LLC is a Travel Leaders Group company. Founded in 1984, Protravel International LLC is a full-service, dynamic travel company with an award-winning reputation. With annual sales reaching over $850 million, Protravel is headquartered in New York City and supports a network of 22 branch locations throughout the United States and London, plus a network of hosted agents in all corners of the U.S. Today, over 800 people make up the Protravel organization. Our expertise in destination, international faring and competitive products – coupled with our superior network of contacts in the airline, hotel, cruise and hospitality industry – makes Protravel one of the most powerful selling forces in the travel industry.
Protravel’s diversity of products, size of annual sales and nationally recognized stature permits them to leverage these strengths to bring the most competitive pricing and aggressive negotiations for our highly diverse client base. It is a company-wide commitment to search for the best possible travel options for our customers. Travel arrangements are personally tailored to take optimum advantage of the most up to the minute changes in the industry.
For many years, a dedicated team has guided Protravel with innovative ideas and skills. By incorporating the latest technologies and carefully monitoring industry developments, the finest products and highest levels of service are maintained. The continued success of Protravel is a testament to our sound operation and well-planned development.
www.protravelinc.com
