Event purpose-of-collection map
The registration form has 18 fields and no one on the team can say why half of them are there.
The short answer
A purpose-of-collection map is a table with one row per field: what you collect, the specific event task it supports, who uses it, who else receives it and when it goes. A field with no task is a candidate to remove.
The map prepares facts for your privacy notice and your reviewer. It does not decide what you are allowed to collect.
Start from tasks, not from the form
List the event tasks that need personal details: confirming a place, printing a badge, arranging catering, sending joining instructions, reporting to a funder. Then attach fields to tasks.
Anything left over is either a task you forgot or a field you do not need.
Rules of thumb for each row
- Write the purpose as a task, such as 'print the badge', not as 'marketing' or 'event management'.
- Name the person or team who actually uses the field.
- Mark whether the field is required to attend or optional, and say what happens if left blank.
- Separate event notices from marketing messages; see marketing permission separation.
- Record who else receives it, such as the caterer or the venue.
Fields that need a second look
- Identity numbers, dates of birth and home addresses.
- Health, dietary or accessibility details: ask only what the arrangement needs and route the wording to your reviewer.
- Photographs and recordings; see the photo opt-out workflow.
- Free-text boxes, which collect more than anyone planned.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional secretariat trims an 18-field form
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Pengurus Fasiliti maps 18 fields for a 150-delegate seminar. Eleven map to a clear task. Four (home address, date of birth, mobile number of the assistant, and 'how did you hear about us') have no task agreed.
The secretariat removes home address and date of birth, makes the mobile number optional with a stated use, and moves the 'how did you hear' question to an optional survey. Dietary needs stay, with a note that only the caterer sees the category and count.
Use this yourself
Purpose-of-collection map
Copy one row per field. A row with no task in column two goes to the owner for a decision.
| Field | Event task it supports | Used by | Also received by | Required or optional | Removal or review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Badge, attendance list | Desk team | Badge printer | Required | |
| Joining instructions | Secretariat | Registration platform | Required | ||
| Dietary needs | Catering | Secretariat | Caterer (category and count) | Optional | |
| Photo consent | Photography | Secretariat | Photographer | Optional | |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A short form and one person who knows the event tasks.
- Your team has agreed what each field is for.
- A reviewer is available to check the notice.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several committees add fields over the years and no one owns the form.
- Funders, sponsors and HQ each ask for data.
- You want the map built into supplier requirements and the event handover.
Want the form and the map built together?
An Event Blueprint can include a field-by-task map for registration, with removal dates and recipients written in, so suppliers and committees work from the same sheet. The registration form field minimiser can help your team draft its own first version.
Questions organisers ask
Can 'event management' be the purpose?
It is too broad to be useful. Name the task: confirm a seat, print a badge, arrange catering.
What about fields a sponsor asks for?
Treat them as a separate decision. See the sponsor data-sharing review and bring it to your reviewer.
How often should the map be updated?
Each time the form, a supplier or a purpose changes, and once before each new event.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.