Benvenuti - Welcome

Hello, I am Larry Aiello, the organizer for an Italian meetup group of Tampa Bay.  Officially, we are the Italian Culture, Dining, Language, etc of Tampa Bay.

History of the group:

The group was started by Roberto Alvarez in 2007 and he did a good job in getting this off the ground.  He decided to step-down, so I took over as organizer in the summer of 2010.

What do we do?

I try to organize a lot of different activities related around the Italian culture.  We have gone to Italian festivals, movies, dinners at Italian restaurants, happy hour at the Italian Club in Ybor City (note, we are not affiliated with them, but I know we have some members that are also a part of that fine organization), etc.  If you have any ideas, or would like to host an event, please contact me.

On occasion, I also have taught Italian classes.

Do I have to be Italian?

No, as long as you have an interest in Italian culture, or language, or dining at Italian restaurants, you are free to join.

Is there a membership fee?

Yes there is - the fee is currently a one-time $7 fee.

Why do you charge this fee?

I implemented a one-time fee in the early part of 2012 to offset the cost of running the group. It costs me $15 a month to keep the group going.

This group will operate as a "non-profit"

In other words, I don't want to make a profit from the membership fees.  If we get thousands and thousands of members, then I'll throw a big party on my tab at the end of the year, lol.

The most likely scenario will be there there will only be a few dollars left over after I pay the fees.  I may decide to use those funds to advertise in Creative Loafing, or perhaps run some ads on Facebook, to draw in more people.  I haven't decided that yet.

At the end of the year, if there is any money left over after that, I will donate it to Florida Institute for Community Studies, an organization that helps at-risk youth in the Tampa Bay area.  My intent is to net to zero.

Exceptions / Waivers of the One-time fee

If you are a full-time high-school or college student, then I will waive the fee.  If you are fully retired, I will also waive the fee.  If you are full-time military, the fee will not apply.  If you have any other extenuating circumstances, lost your job, etc., then contact me directly through the meetup site.

Refund Policy

If you come to one event, and you feel that the group is not for you, then I will gladly refund your money.  No questions asked.

Payment

I prefer payment by PayPal.  I will also accept a check or money-order.  If you want to pay by check or money-order, please send an email through the meetup group and I'll send you my home address.  I don't want to publish my address on the site.

Can I join without paying?

No, I'm sorry, it's too much of an accounting burden (and I do it for a living) - this way is the easiest for me.  Once again, you can always get a refund after the first meeting.

Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to meeting you.

Grazie Mille!

Larry Aiello