By APRIL STONE / GUEST COLUMNIST

One of the main objectives of being a vital part of a Chamber of Commerce is to meet people that you can do business with.

This is one way we can help introduce the members of the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce and help make the connections that you need to develop your business.

If you are an event planner, one of the biggest challenges is to find good meeting space.

A quiet space where information is shared, deals are made and sometimes even friendships are forged is the dream of everyone in Shelby County that wants to bring a group of people together.

The Hampton Inn at Eagle Point would like to help with that! They feature 106 sleeping rooms and 900 square feet of meeting space.

In addition to that is the free buffet-style breakfast, free Wi-Fi and parking.

They rent out their meeting space to special events such as birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, craft shows and even some Professional Development seminars hosted by the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce!

They also offer great discounts to wedding groups, family groups and sport travel teams.

This quiet and restful spot opened in February 2011 and their goal has always been to offer superior customer service and great amenities.

They are owned by PHD Hotels based in Opelika, Ala.

They have also been nationally ranked No. 1 on TripAdvisor for the last three years. They soared to that position six months after they opened, and they’ve never left that spot!

This is out of only 82 nationally ranked hotels.

They also like to be a huge member of the community. Starting in 2014, they hosted The Taste of Lee Branch that gave restaurants in the Lee Branch shopping center a chance to market their menus and invite all the companies and organizations they work closest with.

The first year they have over 50 attendees and in 2014 they had over 70 people!

It is not a surprise their future goals include continuing the great relationships they have and to become The Preferred hotel in this part of Shelby County.

Call Director of Sales Barbara Zieba at (205) 981-0024 and find out how you can utilize their services to grow your business!