Balloon Art

Micronesia Mall

1088 W. Marine Corps Dr., Suite 238

Dededo, GU 96929

By Louella Losinio

Balloon Art opened in Micronesia Mall in 2003 filling a niche in the local market with
custom-designed balloons and gift items for every occasion.

Owners Wan Shub Choi and Jung Ae Choi have made the store a family business involving their daughters, Sun and Bo, who are part of the team as resident artists. The family takes care of all aspects of the business — from product creation, inventory and sales, to delivery.

Sun Choi, a certified balloon artist, shares how the business came to be and what they do to fly high above the competition.

What inspired you to open Balloon Art?

At first, I was not planning to get involved in the business; I just started doing balloon art as a hobby. I had a chance to go to Korea, and they were offering classes, which I took to get licensed as a balloon artist. It was just for fun. When I returned back to Guam, friends told me it could be a good business.

On Guam, we love parties and with the balloon business, my dad thought it would make a perfect match. We opened our first shop in Micronesia Mall in 2003. During that time, there were not a lot of businesses doing party decorations. When we started, we had balloons and small stuffed toys.

What items and services do you offer?

We offer pre-made and designed balloons for purchase but also have a service for clients who prefer to customize their pieces. Aside from retail, we also take in requests to decorate parties and family and corporate events. We also offer flower arrangement services.

Balloon prices vary by size, shape, and design. We also offer inflation service for helium-quality latex or foil balloons. Delivery requires a minimum order of $50 or more.

What specialized services set you apart from the competition?

Balloon Art accepts domestic and off-island requests with just a phone call or email. The off-island requests are for clients who may want to have a gift item purchased and delivered to family or loved ones on-island.

We have gift items for special occasions. We can also do balloon wrapping where you stuff items, such as gifts and flowers, inside balloons. We can also decorate hotel rooms for surprise parties.

Where do you get inspiration for your balloon art?

Our business is built by customers. We never say no to customers. We try to satisfy customer requests until we get it right. We consider all factors, and we come up with a design that captures the real objective that the customer asked

One time there was a company anniversary party. We did sculpted balloon trophies for the employees.

How do you keep up with trends?

I take time to watch movies, do research to know more about a character. I have to see the character in 2D and 3D. A lot of new balloon designs are coming out lately, so we have new designs coming up.

We can basically customize everything. We have a variety of colors and balloon types and we are evolving. We always follow the trends.

What do you think makes people come back to your business?

I think balloons make people happy. It makes them remember their childhood. It is like a birthday cake. When you have balloons on your special day, it makes you feel lighter, happier.