diff --git a/go/vt/events/eventer/eventer.go b/go/vt/events/eventer/eventer.go
index c5a68904200..edefa13b8cc 100644
--- a/go/vt/events/eventer/eventer.go
+++ b/go/vt/events/eventer/eventer.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package eventer
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 
@@ -18,31 +20,37 @@ func RegisterFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	fs.StringVar(&eventerName, "eventer", eventerName, "the eventer to be used to broadcast internal events")
 }
 
-type Source string
+type Source struct {
+	Type     string
+	Hostname string
+}
 
-var (
-	Vtctld Source = "vtctld"
-	Vtorc  Source = "vtorc"
-)
+type ReparentShardEvent struct {
+	Source   Source
+	Time     time.Time
+	Reparent *topoevents.Reparent
+	Error    error
+}
 
 type Eventer interface {
-	EmergencyReparentShard(src Source, ev *topoevents.Reparent, err error) error
-	PlannedReparentShard(src Source, ev *topoevents.Reparent, err error) error
+	Init() error
+	EmergencyReparentShard(ev *ReparentShardEvent) error
+	PlannedReparentShard(ev *ReparentShardEvent) error
 }
 
-func New() Eventer {
+func Get() (Eventer, error) {
 	eventersMu.Lock()
 	defer eventersMu.Unlock()
-	if ev, ok := eventers[eventerName]; ok {
-		return ev
+	if eventer, ok := eventers[eventerName]; ok {
+		return eventer, eventer.Init()
 	}
-	return nil
+	return nil, errors.New("no such eventer")
 }
 
-func RegisterEventer(name string, e Eventer) {
+func RegisterEventer(name string, eventer Eventer) {
 	eventersMu.Lock()
 	defer eventersMu.Unlock()
-	eventers[name] = e
+	eventers[name] = eventer
 }
 
 func init() {
diff --git a/go/vt/events/eventer/log.go b/go/vt/events/eventer/log.go
index aa5b913d025..cb8b346d921 100644
--- a/go/vt/events/eventer/log.go
+++ b/go/vt/events/eventer/log.go
@@ -1,22 +1,21 @@
 package eventer
 
-import (
-	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
-	topoevents "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topotools/events"
-)
+import "vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
 
 type LogEventer struct{}
 
 func NewLogEventer() Eventer { return &LogEventer{} }
 
-func (le *LogEventer) EmergencyReparentShard(src Source, ev *topoevents.Reparent, err error) error {
-	log.Infof("Received EmergencyReparentShardEvent: source=%s, err=%v, event=%v", src, err, ev)
+func (le *LogEventer) Init() error { return nil }
+
+func (le *LogEventer) EmergencyReparentShard(ev *ReparentShardEvent) error {
+	log.Infof("Received EmergencyReparentShardEvent: %v", ev)
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (le *LogEventer) PlannedReparentShard(src Source, ev *topoevents.Reparent, err error) error {
-	log.Infof("Received PlannedReparentShardEvent: source=%s, err=%v, event=%v", src, err, ev)
+func (le *LogEventer) PlannedReparentShard(ev *ReparentShardEvent) error {
+	log.Infof("Received PlannedReparentShardEvent: %v", ev)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server.go b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server.go
index 310b4aa9293..9b6c91dc209 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/grpcvtctldserver/server.go
@@ -89,15 +89,16 @@ type VtctldServer struct {
 }
 
 // NewVtctldServer returns a new VtctldServer for the given topo server.
-func NewVtctldServer(ts *topo.Server) *VtctldServer {
+func NewVtctldServer(ts *topo.Server) (*VtctldServer, error) {
 	tmc := tmclient.NewTabletManagerClient()
 
+	evr, err := eventer.Get()
 	return &VtctldServer{
 		ts:  ts,
 		tmc: tmc,
 		ws:  workflow.NewServer(ts, tmc),
-		evr: eventer.New(),
-	}
+		evr: evr,
+	}, err
 }
 
 func panicHandler(err *error) {