diff --git a/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm b/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
index ac1222e0..8608c87b 100644
--- a/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
+++ b/src/lib/Hydra/Event.pm
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 package Hydra::Event;
 
-
 use strict;
 use Hydra::Event::BuildFinished;
 use Hydra::Event::BuildStarted;
 use Hydra::Event::StepFinished;
-our @ISA = qw(Exporter);
-our @EXPORT = qw(
-    parse_payload
-);
 
 my %channels_to_events = (
   build_started => \&Hydra::Event::BuildStarted::parse,
@@ -28,3 +23,14 @@ sub parse_payload :prototype($$) {
 
     return $parser->(@payload);
 }
+
+
+sub new_event {
+    my ($self, $channel_name, $payload) = @_;
+
+    return bless {
+        "channel_name" => $channel_name,
+        "payload" => $payload,
+        "event" => parse_payload($channel_name, $payload),
+    }, $self;
+}
diff --git a/t/Event.t b/t/Event.t
index 95feb29a..849070f8 100644
--- a/t/Event.t
+++ b/t/Event.t
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ use Hydra::Event::StepFinished;
 use Test2::V0;
 use Test2::Tools::Exception;
 
+subtest "Event: new event" => sub {
+    my $event = Hydra::Event->new_event("build_started", "19");
+    is($event->{'payload'}, "19");
+    is($event->{'channel_name'}, "build_started");
+    is($event->{'event'}->{'build_id'}, 19);
+};
+
 subtest "Payload type: build_started" => sub {
     like(
         dies { Hydra::Event::parse_payload("build_started", "") },