Correct syntax for retrieving custom field in CPT

If you have the CPT’s ID in the $event_id variable you plug into the get_post() call – why would you not simply just (re)use that for the first parameter of get_post_meta() ?

That aside, get_post() returns a post object (instance of WP_Post), which you choose to assign to $event. Hence $event now has a public property $ID, which can be accessed by $event->ID.