How to obtain the 'Quality Event' mark from Unpli: criteria and procedure

On March 16, in the formal setting of the Senate of the Republic, one often hears the rustling of folders and the excited murmurs of delegations arriving from all over Italy. Then, when the ceremony concludes, the institutional silence gives way to the sound of footsteps: those of the volunteers returning home with a newly acquired seal. This was also the case for the Living Nativity of Sutera, branded as a Quality Event by UNPLI: an official recognition awarded on March 16, 2026. An award that celebrates work, passion, and care for traditions, but above all a certification that is obtained by following specific criteria and a precise procedure.

Why start from Sutera to understand the criteria

Sutera is a case study: its Living Nativity, set in the historic Rabato district, has become an example of how to blend local identity, heritage enhancement, and organization into an event capable of transcending community boundaries and speaking to all of Italy. The news of the brand indeed comes after a path made of continuity, safety, promotion, and—an important detail—on-site verification by inspectors. These are the very pillars on which the UNPLI recognition stands.

What is the «Quality Event» Unpli brand

Behind a plaque to display and a logo to use on communication materials, there is a system of standards that the National Union of Pro Loco of Italy has established to identify—and enhance—the events that best embody traditions, territories, communities. In 2026, the award ceremony for the brands—both Quality Festival and Quality Event—took place between March 15 (preview at the Ergife Hotel) and March 16 (Koch Hall, Senate), with the awarding of 44 Quality Festivals, 21 Quality Events, and 3 special mentions, representing 15 regions. Numbers that reflect the mobilized network and the organizational effort required.

UNPLI adopts structured procedures for managing its brands: the methodology has also been made visible in previous institutional editions—think of the award of brands in the Senate in 2025—and is based on a documentary investigation and inspections during the event in question. It is this combination that makes the brand a true quality compass for visitors and a certificate of reliability for communities.

The criteria: what must an event demonstrate to aspire to the brand

The most detailed and publicly available regulation today is that of the «Quality Festival» UNPLI. While referring to the category of “festivals,” the text provides a clear operational framework—from the application to the inspection—that UNPLI uses as a methodological framework also for the «Quality Eventsinspection checks are carried out to assess whether to grant the recognition of «Quality Event», as documented by regional committees and news cases.

Here are the key points that emerge from the documents and practices: historicity and continuity: for festivals, a minimum historicity is required (at least 5 consecutive editions) and a requesting Pro Loco registered with UNPLI for at least 3 years. For the «Quality Events», the logic is similar: continuity and organizational solidity over time are assessed. Connection to the territory: the mission is the enhancement of identity elements (typical products, intangible heritage, historical reenactments, customs and traditions), involving local actors and related economic sectors. Administrative compliance and safety: the application file must include municipal authorizations, health opinions, waste plans, emergency plans; documents that the inspectors examine and verify even during site inspections. Transparency and promotion: communication plans, descriptive reports, high-resolution photographic material are required; furthermore, the correct use of UNPLI trademarks in promotion is subject to control. Field inspection: the evaluation is not just “on paper”: UNPLI inspectors participate in the event to verify compliance with standards. This is a documented practice for the «Quality Events», with cases where inspections are dated and documented (for example, August 8–9, 2025 for an event awarded in 2026).

The invisible criterion: community and impact

Alongside rules and regulations, UNPLI measures the ability to mobilize the community, to create networks, and to generate cultural and economic impacts—dimensions reiterated at the institutional level, where total volumes are recalled: over 110,000 annual events organized by Pro Loco, 20,000 festivals, estimated economic impacts in hundreds of millions, and a social value linked to the widespread presence of Pro Loco across the national territory. These figures explain why a quality mark is not a symbolic “sticker,” but a lever for local policies, tourism, and promotion.

The Sutera Case: How to Reach the Goal

The Living Nativity of Sutera has received the mark of “Quality Event” with an institutional delivery on March 16, 2026 at the Senate. It is the recognition of a organizational continuity and a territorial rooting that make the event a “nativity within a nativity,” inside a village that knows how to tell its own story. The Pro Loco thanked volunteers, participants, and the entire community—the true driving force that allows an event to align with the required standards and, a crucial detail, to exceed them over time.

Sutera, moreover, is part of a national path in which UNPLI brings a selection of events that have passed reviews and verifications to the Senate each year. In 2026, as mentioned, the recognized audience reached 44 festivals and 21 events, with 3 special mentions: a context that gives a sense of the virtuous competition among territories and the continuous raising of the bar.