There are a great variety of tourist activities in Vancouver as indicated on pages above called Vancouver Tourism Info and Pre/Post Conf. Vacation. We would like the spouses, friends and family members who come to have a great time during the conference.

In order to help them meet other spouses, friends and family members of conference delegates and arrange themselves into groups with various interests, we have organized a Tourist Information Session in the Orca Room of the conference hotel. Vancouver Tourism will send two people who are tourism experts to provide information on Vancouver and the surrounding area at 9 AM on Monday, 25 August 2008.

Please pass the word and encourage your friends you have met at previous conferences and others you meet at ISSC 2008 to join you at this time. Please ask someone at the Registration Desk for directions to the reserved room.

If you are interested in making contact with other spouses prior to the conference, you may do so by sending an email to spouses "at" issc08.org.

Conference participants may purchase tickets for spouses and guests when they register for the conference using the on-line registration system. Luncheon tickets may also be purchase at the registration desk during the conference. Business dress is suggested for the Awards Luncheon on Thursday. The cost of each luncheon ticket is $30 USD.

Spouses and family will particularly enjoy our thursday evening social event at the Vancouver Aquarium. In keeping with our conference theme, we will make a special effort to accommodate young families at this event. Tickets for spouses, family members and other guests can be purchased when registering for the conference using the on-line registration system. Tickets for this evening event at the Vancouver Aquarium may also be purchase at the registration desk during the conference. Children 12 years of age and under are free - but please pick up a ticket at the registration desk because we'll need to know how many children to order the right amount of food. Youths 13 to 18 years of age are $20 USD and adults are $45 USD. We also expect to have a limited number of free admission tickets for the Vancouver that are valid on Thursday of the conference week. You can request these tickets at the registration desk starting Wednesday 9am. Especially for spouses with young children, we suggest that you use these tickets to start your visit to the Aquarium in mid or later afternoon, and then stay for our social event which begins at 6:30pm. The "Kid's Food Station" will open around 6:30pm, followed by the food stations for everyone else which will open around 8:00pm.