Spouse Tour Programme

A spouse tour programme will be organised during the conference, including attendance at the Global Gypsum Awards Dinner cruise and Farewell Party. 

We will be very pleased to welcome back all our fabulous spouses from around the world, to greet old friends and to make new ones, while having a ball and seeing the world!

The Spouse Tour programme includes attendance at the Global Gypsum Awards Dinner. Please register for the Spouse Tour online, during the conference registration process. Otherwise, please contact amanda.crow@propubs.com. The cost is €495 (at cost).

2026 programme

13th October 18.00 - 20.00 Welcome reception in the exhibition area for all exhibitors, delegates, spouses and speakers.

(timings for activities below to follow)

14th October

Minivan will be waiting at the hotel to take guests to the centre of Istanbul. 

The first activity will be a perfume workshop, where you will be able to design your own signature scent! Participants will learn about fragrances and essences, experimenting with different combinations to craft a personalised perfume. You will gain insight into perfume composition, including compatible essences and their uses and create a small bottle of custom fragrance to take home.

After the workshop, the minivan will take you to the next activity - a treasure hunt around the old city of Istanbul. You will embark on an adventurous journey that combines exploration, teamwork and problem-solving! Using a map and compass, participants will navigate through historical routes or carefully designed areas, uncovering hidden locations and solving engaging challenges along the way. Walk from landmark to landmark to discover art, culture and history. Search plaques, statues and art to solve riddles that can only be found on location. Don't worry if you get stuck - there will be an English-speaking guide to help you along the way. 

Head back to the minvan and arrive at the hotel for lunch at 1pm. 

17:45 - Load buses for the Global Gypsum Awards Dinner on board a dining yacht cruising along the Bosphorus. Last bus departs at 6pm! Return by 11.30pm latest.

15th October

Minivan will be waiting at the hotel to take guests to the Karakoy fish market. Here, your guide will meet you for a full-day food tour - come hungry! Breakfast and all meals throughout the day will be provided.

The tour will take you through food markets and local eateries in both the European side's Karaköy neighbourhood and the Asian side's Kadıköy. The tour will be easy and flat terrain and will include a ferry ride across the Bosphorus. 

It will begin with breakfast in the historic Perşembe Pazarı of Karaköy, followed by a stroll through the atmospheric mariner market streets, where you'll stop into an Ottoman-era caravanserai for tea. Then you'll hop on the boat to Kadıköy on the Asian side and eat your way through the neighborhood’s market, which holds the highest concentration of traditional food shops and eateries in the city. There, you will enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee, before sampling regional specialties such as Mersin’s famous tantuni, the flatbread, lahmacun, of Southeastern Turkey and Aegean-style meze. Then you will continue on toward the lesser-explored culinary hotspots around the Moda area at the market’s edge and finish the tour with a sweet treat. The tour features almost a dozen different edible specialities across 9-12 stops and you will meet many of the faces in the kitchens. The tour will be easy-going and suitable for most fitness levels - comfortable walking shoes recommended.

The driver will meet you at the meeting point and take you back to the hotel, where you will have some time to relax before the farewell reception at 17:30.