Toward Sustainable and Inclusive MICE Events: A Systematic Review of Green Practices and Participation Challenges for Persons with Disabilities

The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry drives significant economic growth but generates considerable environmental impact through energy consumption, waste, and travel-related emissions. Simultaneously, people with disabilities (PWDs), representing approximately 16% of the global population, continue to face physical, informational, and attitudinal barriers that limit their participation in MICE events. A growing body of literature has examined green event practices and PWD accessibility challenges separately, yet these two dimensions have rarely been studied together. This gap is problematic because environmental sustainability and social inclusion are interdependent pillars of the triple bottom line and addressing one without the other results in an incomplete approach to responsible event management. This study bridges this gap through a systematic literature review (SLR) using PRISMA guidelines. Articles were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2000 to 2025, with emphasis on 2010–2025. Two seminal pre-2010 works were included for historical context. A qualitative thematic analysis synthesized findings across two streams: green practices adopted by MICE organizers and participation barriers encountered by PWDs. The review further examines how these streams converge, identifying synergies such as hybrid formats that reduce carbon footprints while enhancing accessibility and tensions, such as eliminating printed materials that may disadvantage attendees with certain disabilities. Findings reveal that green MICE research has focused predominantly on environmental concerns while overlooking disability inclusion, whereas PWD participation studies have centered on barrier identification without connecting to broader sustainability frameworks. The review identifies a critical need for an integrated approach that positions accessibility as an essential component of sustainable MICE planning. This study contributes by proposing a conceptual framework aligning green practices with universal design principles to guide event organizers, policymakers, and stakeholders toward MICE events that are both environmentally responsible and genuinely inclusive.

MICE events, green practices, sustainability, persons with disabilities, accessibility, inclusion, systematic literature review, universal design.

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