In 1985 we changed the name to the Old House New House Home Show and moved it to the Du Page County Fairgrounds. In 1984 we produced what we called the Country House City House Home Show at the Kane County Fairgrounds. ''We were limited for space at Crystal Point,'' Joanne said, ''so we started running public shows. The Kennedys found these initial shows so successful that they decided to expand them. They make every attempt to please people, and they bring in the exhibitors and products that we find appeal to our customers.'' They put on two to four shows a year for us, depending on if the exhibitors they want are available. ''They jury the exhibitors and they are very easy to work with. ''We feel they`re a quality manager of events for shopping centers,'' The Kennedys still do antique and home shows for the mall, and they do them very well, according to Joan Nickolauson, general manager for the mall. Then Crystal Point asked if we could do home shows.'' We went from 12 to 30 exhibitors for the next show. That first show had 12 dealers, and it was very successful for being so small. ''By that time we had a network of antique dealers to call on. ''Reese and I thought we could do it ourselves,'' Joanne said, and Kennedy Productions was born. The mall manager said there wasn`t going to be one because there wasn`t anyone to run it and asked if we knew someone who could do it for them.''Įvidencing the same spirit that brought about Easy Time, the Kennedys took on the project. ''Afterward we called to see if we could be in the next show, too. ![]() ''In 1978, when Easy Time was only 2 years old, we were exhibitors at the Crystal Point Mall Antiques Show in Crystal Lake,'' Joanne. Sometimes we`d get to our destination and find out that what was advertised just wasn`t there. ''Our experience in being exhibitors at these shows turned out to be invaluable. ''From there we started working other antique shows and then went on to national trade shows, such as the National Hardware Show and the Home Center Show, where we showed the product to major retailers. ''The Kane County Flea Market was the very first time we sold Easy Time to the public, in 1976,'' Joanne said. At the same time they were honing the business skills that would eventually stand them in good stead in ways they had not even considered. Beginning in 1976, with their two daughters in tow, the couple traveled across the country from trade show to trade show, showing off their product to consumers and dealers.
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