Optimizing green food on MICE industry: determining performance strategy

Cahyadi, W. I. N., Lukman, A., & Ananta, S. I. M. A. (2025). Optimizing green food on MICE industry: determining performance strategy. CACTUS Tourism Journal, 31 (1). doi.org/10.24818/CTS/7/2025/1.02

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Abstract

The increasing emphasis on sustainability in global business ecosystems has transformed environmental responsibility from an ethical obligation to a strategic imperative. In the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry, eco-friendly food is crucial in reducing environmental impact and improving long-term competitiveness. However, the Indonesian MICE sector faces major challenges in implementing structured sustainability strategies, especially in food procurement and waste management. The lack of a standardized decision-making framework limits the industry's ability to optimize its sustainability efforts and creates a research gap in identifying the most impactful green food initiatives. Data was collected from 50 individual members of the Indonesian Event Association (IVENDO) representing event consulting, event management, hospitality and exhibition organization, as well as from three medium-sized companies affiliated with IVENDO and operating in the MICE sector. The results show that local and organic sourcing (LOS) is the highest priority (0.206), followed by storage optimization (SO) (0.138), sustainable packaging (SP) (0.129) and energy-efficient operations (EEO) (0.100). These results highlight the industry's preference for local partnerships, efficient food storage management and environmentally friendly operational concepts. While the study provides a structured approach to green food optimization, the focus on Indonesia and the limited sample size limit its applicability on a broader scale. However, the findings serve as a foundation for future research to expand datasets and explore blockchain-enabled supply chain transparency to ultimately improve sustainability and operational efficiency in the Indonesian MICE industry while strengthening its global impact.

Keywords

MICE industry, green food strategies, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), sustainable event management, decision-making framework

JEL Classification

L83, Q56

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