Who’s who at Red Scooter

OK – grab a helmet, swing your leg over the pillion and hang on as you get to meet the people who drive the amazing events that happen at Red Scooter…

Meet the Bossman: Eammon Hamilton
Some say he has a mad creative genius complex, others maintain that he’s a wonderfully inclusive leader – but all agree that Eammon is the driver of the Red Scooter phenomenon. He originally saw the Red Scooter as an opportunity for cheap accommodation. When he and three mates moved in in September 1993, they had no idea they were creating a legend. However, Eammon’s natural flair for hospitality and entrepreneurship rose to the occasion and by 1995 we were holding private dinner parties for friends. Word spread and friends of friends and friends of friends of friends became interested. From there, through hard work, energy and persistence, the Red Scooter we know today developed. Eammon bought out his mates and gained a new partner in more ways than one.

Eammon's proudest achievement? With Red Scooter Eammon has hosted more than two thousand functions – and he claims he can remember every one of them!

When not at Red Scooter Eammon can often be seen driving one – his beloved red Vespa which competes for space in the bedroom on cold frosty nights. Eammon’s other passion in life is sustainability and the environment – something that is woven throughout Red Scooter’s operations.

Email: eammonhamilton@redscooter.com.au

The Real Boss
If you’re lucky enough to be a Red Scooter guest and can stop having a good time for long enough to carefully look around, you’ll notice a subtle game in progress. It’s called “let’s pretend Eammon is the boss” and everyone plays it. Especially Flora, because she started it.

When Flora met Eammon he was just your typical easygoing happy Aussie bloke who liked having a few friends around for a few beers and a good time. With a history of hotel and venue management. Flora recognised his raw talent and decided to hone it into something useful (to her).

What Flora needed was someone to do all the boring boss stuff, like the books and the staffing and the worrying, while she got on with the job of being the real boss. She knew from experience that it’s easier being the boss of one person than a whole staff!

In another life, Flora was once selected as Australia’s seventh most eligible bachelor woman. Eammon reckons it ought to have been number one, but he’s only sucking up to the boss.

Small, but perfectly Co Ordinated!
If you’re lucky enough to have an event at Red Scooter, chances are you’ll experience Kylie’s considerable talents at first hand. As our Events Coordinator she specialises in juggling, smiling very nicely and kicking people in the nether regions as required (which is never, ever more than once).

Kylie lives up to her nickname of the Red Scooter Pocket Rocket, but we reckon it would take more than a velcro pocket to hold her!

When Kylie’s not working she keeps herself busy by organising both her netball team and her large circle of friends.

Email: kylieabrahams@redscooter.com.au

Nepotism? Never heard of it
At Red Scooter we’ve never heard of nepotism, or child labour laws for that matter. At least, not when it comes to family members and a good story for the bio section of the website.

The Red Scooter team all know Madi – Madisson Hamilton that is, daughter of Eammon and Flora - remember the bit about nepotism?

Madi’s grown up with us and even has a room named after her. So now you know, it wasn’t named after the dance. Red Scooter has been Madisson’s backyard all her life and while other children had sand pits, she’s had a kitchen to play in.

Perhaps she’ll be Australia’s next generation answer to Jamie Oliver? Or the next event compere extraordinaire? Stay tuned.

Like father…..
Cool, suave and very much a bloke who knows his way around, EJ has been seen hanging out with some of Melbourne’s beautiful people.

A regular attendee at Red Scooter events, EJ can vouch for the hard work and planning that goes into every single occasion. There’s only one thing he doesn’t like and that’s the menu. Way too many different tastes and flavours is his considered opinion. As far as he’s concerned there’s only one item every menu should have – no make that two – breast milk and formula, or for variety, Formula and breast milk.

EJ (Eammon Junior) will celebrate his first birthday in March 2009.

Why is everyone so nice to Di?
Di Logan is a great gal. Plays a mean game of hockey, always fairly of course and the same goes for lawn bowls. In fact Di’s prowess on the rink is legendary, especially among Red Scooter staff who have never played the game. Di also is rumoured to like a glass of white wine from time to time. Something which Red Scooter suppliers are always happy to shout her whenever she likes.

Now if you haven't guessed why everyone's always nice to Di, we’ll let you in on the reasons.

One, Di’s a really nice person, good to have around and be around.

Two, since 2004 she’s been our accounts manager and that means she’s in charge of making sure that everyone gets their money. Need we say more?

I eat therefore I cook
What on earth is a philosopher doing in the Red Scooter kitchens? Nothing thankfully. Our Head Chef, Robert Theaker, has both feet firmly on the tiled floor and his head and heart aligned with our gastronomic and environmental stance.

While our focus is on continually evolving our menus and the dining experience we offer our guests –and Rob understands this well - we are also aware of ‘food kilometres’, organic production, sustainability and a whole horde of related issues.

For instance, ask Rob about Slow Food and he’ll tell you it’s nothing to do with tardy service, but more about a traditional origins and ingredients movent that began in Turin, Italy a relatively few years ago. And something we think is well worth encouraging and following – ask us if you’re planning a menu.

When he’s not cooking, Rob enjoys eating French Asian and middle eastern cuisines, sports, music and travel.

Email: kitchen@redscooter.com.au

Welcome to the Hotel California….
What is it about Red Scooter? We’re a people magnet. As Sophie Glover says, “Little did I know that I’d still be here after a few years – it’s Hotel California, once you check in you never check out.”

Attend a Red Scooter event and you’ll experience Sophie’s passion for hospitality first hand. She says it runs in the family, her father is a chef. Although at Red Scooter she spends much of her day looking after Eammon which, as she will tell you after a few drinks (vodka with fresh lime works best btw), is almost a full time job in itself.

Sophie’s proudest moment at Red Scooter was when she completed her first venue set-up for 200 – on the night Red Scooter won a Restaurant & Catering award!

Sophie says red is her favourite colour and she’d like a pay rise too Boss, if you read this.

Too cool for…. school
If you are old enough to remember life before CD’s or a mobile phone, you may need to ask a younger person to translate some of Alex Chau’s bio. It goes something like this….

“Hey Boss, heres the staff thingy. ummm lets seee.... hobbies..um.. I enjoy watching anime and reading manga and the Melb Shuffle. Music. I like most music, ranging from chilled out chilli peppers to intense hardstyle and everything in between. Learning how to be a barista was awesome, especially learning how to make latte art. Oh and i am currently attending my final year of high school.”

It’s amazing how Alex manages to fit in to the Red Scooter team and share the focus on giving every guest the time of their lives. But that’s what makes this such an extraordinary place.

She deserves a rise…
Julia has a very peculiar affect on many of our guests. People who look quite normal and sensible (and probably are) find themselves motivated to approach Eammon (the pretend Boss) to tell him that her service was incredibly brilliant and suggest that she deserves a pay rise.

Now we don’t know what she does to people to get them to behave like that, but we have one suggestion; if she really wants a pay rise, the guests should ask the real Boss (Flora that is – you can read all about it in her bit on this page).

In the meantime, if Julia would like a really really flattering bio, we’re open to offers.

Nice wheels…. yours?
“Cameron Dinnington loves cooking, which is a good thing because he’s an apprentice chef.

Before he took up cooking, Cameron worked in Safeway for what he assures us was a very long time. He says the only thing he misses about Safeway is wearing that so smooth green shirt and black pants uniform. Fortunately he has better taste in food.

When he’s not lending a hand creating the wonderful nosh at Red Scooter, Cameron’s been spotted driving a red Camira station wagon in the Frankston area. We hope the car is actually his.

A taste for all nations
Having been firmly bitten by the travel bug, we’re glad that Shinhwya Lee has stopped moving for long enough to join us as a 3rd year apprentice chef.

Although, since she’s lived and worked in Tibet, Thailand, Korea and Australia, exactly what she’ll cook we’re not sure. If Chef gets inspired we may see some interesting twists on the menu.

Shinhwya (which is phonetically the same as the French chinois – the conical sieve used in kitchens) also enjoys cooking, baking, yoga, reading books and swimming, not usually all at the same time.

All the way with our DJ!
Well, all the way from New Zealand anyway! Bruce Harrison escaped across the Tasman and no one was alert enough to turn him back, so he worked hard on getting rid of his uccent and pretending to be a local.

In 2006 he made his finest career move and joined the Red Scooter team as our resident DJ (but he does play around at times – so book him early to make sure you get him for your event!). If you’ve been to a Red Scoter event you’ll know that Bruce’s song lists are the driving force behind some rocking and rolling nights. Although rumoured to be tone deaf, it doesn’t show in his musical selections – updated weekly there’s something for everyone – and even the most obscure requests can often be accommodated. When Bruce isn’t spinning discs he’s dreaming of spinning wheels in the dirt in his soft top Jeep over which he’s been spotted throwing mud at to give it that authentic 4WD look.

Bruce's proudest achievement? Bruce likes to imagine that the fact that he likes dressing up as a storm trooper and visiting terminally ill children makes up for his other habits’

Bruce’s favourite drink? Johnnie Walker, ocasionally he even prefers it in a glass.

Hello, hello, hello…
Hello? Graeme Aitken is one of the friendliest and most welcoming blokes we know. You might see him if you come to a Red Scooter event, downstairs, just mooching about in the background. That’s when Graeme’s happiest, when he’s in the background and no-one notices him or his people.

Once Graeme was a green beret in the army, then followed a stint with the Victorian police. These days he, “Consults and provides security services to various government enterprises, specialising in counter surveillance, de-bugging and close personal protection issues.”

It sounds like something from a movie, but it’s real - we’re just glad to have him on our side – and yours.

We wish it didn’t have to be, but security is an issue. So, as with everything else we do at Red Scooter, we aim to deliver the best to look after our guests and staff.

Would you like popcorn with that?
OK, Jane’s not really going to ask you that, but if you see her fingers twitch and try to tear a napkin in half, you’ll know she’s thinking about taking tickets in her other job at Elsternwick’s Classic cinema.

At Red Scoter you’ll find Jane scooting around making sure everyone has everything they need to enjoy the show. Thankfully, we’ve managed to cure her of the habit of trying to turn the lights down s soon as all our guests are seated.

Jane makes a great coffee and an even better person to have waiting on your table if you’re having a movie trivia night.

Colin is da man!
Take a look at the man behind the music at Red Scooter and you might discover Colin Mann. You can also find him in a variety of roles at community radio station KISSFM or doing his excellent DJ imitation at private parties, dance events and festivals. Colin’s skills don’t end when the music stops either – this is a man who knows how to produce a party! He was the promoter and production manager of the Lunatic Fringe dance parties (one of Melbourne’s first undergrounds rave parties). Colin also spent six years as production manager at the Victorian College of the Arts, so he really understands the power of preparation and the importance of having your event run perfectly.

Colin's proudest achievement? Colin once seriously considered travelling overland to Tibet and climbing K2, but decided to go down to the corner shop and get some Tim Tams instead.

Among his other interests he lists keeping fit, great food and wine (and yes I can cook!!), movies, politics, reading, and sleeping. Many of which he manages to do simultaneously.

Sisters of the Scooter.....Sarah
Over the years we’ve had many siblings (otherwise known as brothers and sisters) working at Red Scooter. Jessica and Sarah are our latest recruits.

From her first Scooter event, Sarah showed outstanding skills looking after our guests – we understood why when we discovered that she’s studying nursing. You’ll have to be forgiving if, as well as removing your plate she takes your pulse and temperature.

We asked Sarah’s friends about her and they said that she is perfect. Hmmm. We can’t vouch for that, but we’ll be happy to receive any evidence and amend this biography accordingly.

Blonde is a state of mind...Jessica
We’re as reluctant as anyone else to perpetuate a stereotype, especially when it comes to blondes. So we won’t, apart from mentioning that Jessica was recommended to Red Scooter by Caitlin "What's a blond joke?" who you’ll find on this page. And to say that we think Jessica may be an aspirational blonde.

We are grateful that Jessica’s skills on the floor and about the place generally are far superior to those she’s shown when driving. Guests love being served by Jessica, but would be well advised to steer clear if they see her behind the wheel.

Ariel three jobs...
Ariel “three jobs” Wytwornick is saddled with the burden of having his brother work at Red Scooter too. He reckons living in the same house should be enough. Ariel’s been with us since 2003 and mainly works in the bar and helps out with food service.

He gets his nickname (it’s not really, but we think it should be) “three jobs” or TJ from the fact that he’s been working at three hospitality jobs to fund a trip to Israel.

What’s a blonde joke?
We think blonde jokes are really unfair and, of course, untrue. If they had any truth to them at all, so many women wouldn’t regularly turn blonde at the hairdressers. Caitlin assures us that yes, she’s a real blonde and no, blonde jokes are not true.

You’ll find Caitlin working the bar during events – she also specialises in the set-ups that transform Red Scooter into so many wonderful venues.

Now have you heard the one about the blonde barmaid who……

Not a chance!
Here’s a tip, don’t bet on anything with Disa. As an ex Crown Casino croupier and games table host we reckon she’d have a few too many tricks up her sleeve.

Here’s another tip, if you see her making coffee, grab one. Some people seem to be born baristas and she’s a natural at getting the best out of the bean.

Disa’s a trainee supervisor with the Red Scoter team. She also speaks fluent Greek and has a name that comes from the Norwegian and means ‘active spirit’, but you already knew that.

Good old fashioned country hospitality
OK, we don’t know if Matthew’s good all the time (that’s up to him) and we don’t think he’s particularly old fashioned, but we do know that he comes from the country and that he’s extra good at hospitality.

If you’ve had Matthew serve you food or drinks, you’ll agree that he knows how to help every one of our guests have a wonderfully memorable experience. What many don’t know is that Matthew has worked on a sheep farm (as a baa tender, naturally) and at McDonalds, You could ask him about the similarities between the roles.

When Matthew’s not at Red Scooter, he might be found playing competition soccer, tennis, golf, football, the jazz trumpet or surfing. There must be something he doesn’t do, we’re still looking for it.

Hot tamales!
OK, we’ve got the Mexican food joke out of the way. But Camilla Tamala’s hopped aboard Red Scooter and we’re glad she’s along for the ride – and so are our guests, she’s great at looking after people!

She’s said she’s keen to get into our staff training program and learn more about hospitality. Well, we reckon Camilla’s a natural and she says Red Scooter’s the best thing since sliced bread. About now you should know that her last job was at Baker’s Delight, so she knows a thing or two about a sliced loaf.

Apart from working at Red Scooter, Camilla likes (this is her list) cooking, dancing, sewing, bike riding, reading, socialising, swimming, physical exercise and the out doors. We’re not sure about the order though.

Her secret ambition is to be an undiscovered novelist. Sorry, make that; it was her secret ambition.

On yer bike…
You’ll see James as a friendly face waiting on your table, making sure you have everything you need for a great event – or serving drinks from the bar. James would rather see himself hurtling down a hill on a bike getting air.

If there’s one thing James enjoys more than keeping our guests happy it’s music and sports – the more extreme the better. Actually that’s two things, but as James says there’s really nothing he’d place above working at Red Scooter, we won’t quibble.

Rumour has if that James is enrolled at RMIT studying Product Design, although this is yet to be confirmed.

J'aime le Scooter Rouge!
When Jane starts speaking French, you’ll know she’s either very happy or…. French has been a passion of Janes for years, as has life drawing. She’s received awards for both, but not, as far as we know, for doing them at the same time.

Jane’s worked at developing her service and communication skills with waitressing stints at Euro Pizza and Taco Bills. However it was doing work experience at a vet’s that gave her an even more powerful insight into human behaviour.

A valuable member of the Red Scooter team, Jane understands the importance of ensuring every guest is treated as they are our only guest.

She’s also performed at the Hamer Arts Centre in 2005, 2006 and 2007. If you ask her nicely Jane may even tell you what she did.

Would you like fries with that?
One of the first things that Boss Man Eammon remembers about Ashley is that he was always asking questions. That, and the fact that Ashley had his Bar Mitzvah at Red Scooter four years ago – and Eammon never forgets a client.

After having his own event with us, Ashley attended several more as a guest and the questions kept coming…… “Can I have a job here?” “Do you employ really cool people?” “This would be an awesome place to work?” “I’ll stop asking if you give me a job – so do you want me to stop?” Eventually Eammon gave in and Ashley came aboard as a kitchen hand. Now he’s doing Certificate 3 in Hospitality Operations too.

And the fries? Ashley used to work at McDonalds and we suspect they taught him to ask questions.

Rebecca Vaughan - Kitchen confidential
What goes in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen, or so they say.

And it’s easy to understand why if you’ve ever worked in the high pressure, team environment of a commercial kitchen. Even Red Scooter’s can have a certain tension when we’re serving a couple of hundred guests with restaurant quality food and perfect presentation. As a casual chef, Rebecca’s used to it and she’s a valued, hardworking member of the team.

BUT, when Rebecca puts on her other hat – as a moonlighting waitress on the floor when she’s needed – she has to forget about the kitchen and become sweetness and light to our guests. Which she does brilliantly of course. You’d never know.

What do you get if you cross a Monaro with a mania?
The answer is Angela Maney. One of the vital members of the customer-service driven floor staff at Red Scooter. Born in Tasmania, Angela lists among her achievements driving her Dad’s Monaro GTS on the LaTrobe speedway. LaTrobe, she says, is the platypus capital of the world, but apparently no one has bothered to tell the platypuses (or is that platypi?) who are noticeably absent.

She vaguely remembers completing a fine arts degree and beginning a teaching degree in Hobart, but prefers to think about her latest PlayStation highest score. Angela says she’s had lots of jobs, but the longest lasting and most fun has been Red Scooter.

After making sure Red Scooter guests have a great time, Angela says her passions are PlayStation, sleeping, drinking beer and someone called Bruce, but not always in that order.

Eammon’s right hand
Nigel came to Red Scooter with a wealth of hospitality knowledge and experience and quickly saw the potential to get involved with such a dynamic team. Since joining the crew in September 2002 he has learned how to answer the phone, send an email, not scuff his feet when he’s embarrassed and get a "free lunch" whenever he can.....

As happy clients drove the growth of the business, new opportunities emerged. Seeing a need in the market for quality photography with a personal touch, Nigel created Pulse Photography which now looks after our valued Red Scooter clients.

Nigel enjoys going to the movies and rolling jaffas down the aisle, romantic nights in alone, long walks on the beach and annoying his boss whenever possible. (Eammon says that Nigel Welch is definitely his right hand. This may come as news to Eammon’s left hand!)

Potatal Attraction
If you’ve been reading these bio’s in chronological order, you will have read Joao Gonclaves’ – “A chip off the old potato”. Not only does Pedro share a surname with Joao, but he also, coincidentally, has the same parents.

You’ll find Pedro slaving over a hot sink in the kitchen, or chopping peas or shelling onions, contributing to keeping the standard of our food at 5 star level.

He’s very keen and a fast leaner too. Or at least that’s what Joao tells us and brothers always tell the truth about each other, don’t they?

Pedro thinks light sabres are really cool and aims to work his way up to taking over Nye’s job guiding our guests to their car parks.

“Mad Master” Mark Loft
What can you say about a charismatic Master of Ceremonies whose passion for making every guest feel special is equalled only by his desire to tell people what to do (in the nicest possible way of course)?

With theatre, radio and more than 100 Red Scooter functions behind him, Mark still does a huge preparation for every event – ensuring that his individual approach makes each occasion unique and highlights the personal details that ensures a memorable experience for all.

Mark’s proudest achievement? “Being Red Scooter employee of the month in 2003 and still being as excited about planning the next event as it was his first one.”

Mark’s favourite drink? is Red Bull and English gin with a lime twist. He once had two cats named Biggles.

Lights, sound, action ………Ian
Ian McRae says he wasn’t born between the cans, but whether it’s the slang term for headphones or the course buoys that yachts sail around, the evidence suggests otherwise. After studying industrial design, Ian endured years of designing shop fittings, furniture and lighting before he decided to turn a passion for high end domestic audio into, erm….. a passion for high end commercial audio visual with lighting on the side. After far too long as technical director of Moonlight Cinema, during which he developed a lifelong aversion to popcorn, Ian entered the audio visual business. He’s never looked back.

Today his company, selectAV, is one of the team that make Red Scooter happen. Event after event, the quality goes on.

Ian’s hobbies? are thinking about an early night, dreaming about an early night, sailing, restoring Japanese cars and talking to people about the joys of getting to bed before midnight.

Fun, full of ideas (and very eligible)
If you’ve seen a few of the big name musicals around town, you may have seen Troy performing – if you’ve been to some of the themed events or seen entertainment at Red Scooter, you may have experienced more of Troy’s work

Think Hair (not the growing stuff), Chess (not the game), Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables and you’ll have an idea of the calibre of Troy’s experience. It’s the same level of quality and attention to detail that he brings to creating entertainment for Red Scooter events.

Now Troy is a really nice bloke, not one of your typical dodgy theatrical types at all. He drives a European convertible and knows which knife and fork to use at the table too.

Oh, and he’s also looking for a significant lady friend. If this works he owes Eammon big time.

Come in spinner…..
Brad not only spins a good yarn – but he spins a good range of tracks too. One of the ‘old school’ DJ’s, Brad is a firm believer in working with his clients to ensure that he plays the music they want in a way that achieves their aims – and if that’s to get the joint hopping, Brad’s the one!

With years of experience, Brad has a totally different approach to every kind of event and audience. He reckons that this helps him get the best results and judging by what we’ve seen of his work, we agree!

Apparently Brad was once known as the round mound of sound. We’re too polite to ask why.

Our future is your future
When we decided that the future of the planet we live on was probably more important than making a quick buck, we at Red Scooter looked for like minded experts to help.

Of course we always wanted Red Scooter to be commercially and financially viable, without that we couldn’t exist at all. But we also wanted to go the next step, to contribute something to solving the environmental issues that face everyone.

Now, despite the fact that his website spells with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘s’ and is a little heavy on jargon, we’ve found Leigh Crocker and Closed System Development www.csd.com.au to be an invaluable source of advice about sustainability and other environmentally responsible concepts.

What’s more, his business experience means Leigh understands concepts like payback and the commercial aspects of making things work.

He likes an environmentally sustainable cold beer too.

You’re fired!
Nye Hamilton is the boss’s younger brother which makes him the real boss’s brother in law. It also probably explains why he’s been fired (and unfired) more times than any other Red Scooter employee.

You’ll find Nye greeting guests, organising car parking and doing a fine job in food service. When he’s not fired that is. Eammon reckons Nye’s got heaps of potential and could do a lot more with his life, if he only listened to his big brother. Sounds like big brother to us too.

Nye has two young sons who he’s already teaching how to party.

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