Who We Are
“We Make Events Happen,” is a concise statement that represents the attitude and success of Downhome Productions, a full service lighting, audio, staging, design, and production management company, owned by Mark West.
In 1985, fresh off of his experiences at Southwest Missouri State University working for the Campus Union Board and Hammons Student Center doing lighting, audio, and staging, West opened the doors of Downhome Productions. With Swiss Villa Amphitheatre in Lampe, Missouri, as their first major client, concert and production support was the foundation of the company. By 1986, Walmart had joined as the first corporate client, looking to Downhome Productions for full service production for their annual business meeting, which has since grown to five or six annual meetings including the Walmart Shareholders meeting in early June of each year. Later in 1986, Downhome Productions was responsible for event coordination on President Ronald Reagan’s visit to Springfield, Missouri. The political appearances have also grown from the early days, as Downhome provided full production for ten events during the 2000-year election.
By 1987, the company expanded nationally, when West toured with the contemporary Christian band, Petra, providing exposure for Downhome Productions from coast to coast. While the company was growing on a national level through touring, the local client list started to expand to a list that has included Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Prime Trucking, Tyson Foods, MCI, Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, and Sprint, along with many religious organizations including the Missouri Baptist Convention, General Council of the Assemblies of God, James River Church, and Second Baptist Church.
In 1991, Downhome Productions became members of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA), and in 1998 the Association elected Mark West to the ESTA Board of Directors. Since that time he was appointed as Vice President of Affiliate Members. Along with providing leadership with the ESTA organization, Downhome Productions has a large community involvement providing production for Firefall, Muscular Dystrophy Telethons in Springfield and Joplin, and the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.In 1996, responding to the expansion of nationwide growth and opportunity, a satellite office was opened in Nashville, Tennessee, and has since served clients such as Amway, Saturn, the Women of Faith National Tour, the Aaron Tippin Tour, and the Miss Teen USA Pageant. In that short period of time, both offices have expanded into new and larger offices and warehouses, with the Nixa office undergoing an expansion in late 2000.
The spotlight of the world began to shine and grow brighter on Downhome Productions, which provided lighting design and production for the January 1999 visit of Pope Paul II to the Kiel Center in St. Louis. Continuing to grow with the changing world of technology, the company has provided services for many satellite uplink meetings and concerts with Walmart and Sam’s Clubs. Also in 1999, Downhome added the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City, Mexico to its list of clients. Downhome provides full lighting production and crew to the Mexico show, while providing a smaller lighting package and crew to the Branson, Missouri Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Along with a very busy New Year’s Eve Millennium, the 2000-year brought the company the National Youth Evangelism Conference, known as DC/LA 2000. Currently Downhome Productions ‘Makes Events Happen,’ providing lighting support, design, consultation, staging, audio, and rentals for over many events every year.