Cintra Conference 2025
Embracing Change
Join us for two days of insightful conversations around industry shifts in compliance,
technology, and workforce expectations. You’ll walk away with the strategies and tools
you need to stay ahead in the payroll and HR industry.
Crowne Plaza, Newcastle, NE1 3SA
The annual event for
Payroll and HR professionals
Tuesday 8th July
1pm – 4pm: Conference at The Crowne Plaza, Hawthorn Sq, Forth St, Newcastle, NE1 3SA
5pm – late: Evening party at The Telegraph, Orchard St, Newcastle, NE1 3NY
Wednesday 9th July
10am – 3pm: Conference at The Crowne Plaza, Hawthorn Sq, Forth St, Newcastle, NE1 3SA
8th - 9th July 2025 | Free to attend
Valuable insights and practical takeaways,
for real-world success
The latest legislation
Hear the latest updates on payroll and HR legislation straight from the experts.
Industry insights
Gain insights from industry thought leaders on the most exciting changes shaping the future of payroll and HR.
Product masterclasses
Discover new features, receive hands-on training, and learn how to get the most out of Cintra.
Network with peers
Share insights and build relationships with other payroll and HR professionals.
Connect with Cintra
Got questions for the Cintra team? From product development to outsourced services, we're here to listen.
Evening celebrations
Unwind after a day of talks with fantastic company and great food.
What previous attendees say...
It was the first Cintra conference I have been to and I found the whole culture and ethos to be excellent. The desire to understand clients, how we are using the software and therefore what we need it do was very apparent and very welcome.
What's on the agenda?
12.30pm – 1pm: Registration
with Eric Dunmore, Cintra CEO and Seb Aspland, Cintra CTO
Eric will share exciting updates on the company’s latest achievements and vision for the future. Our CTO will also reveal game-changing developments in our software, highlighting how we’re driving innovation in our products to better serve you.
with Mathew Akrigg, CIPP Policy Officer
Hear the latest changes to payroll legislation straight from an expert. Mathew from CIPP will help you to navigate these changes with confidence. You’ll come away with a clear understanding of what you need to know and do to ensure compliance this year.
2pm: Breakout sessions
with Eric Dunmore, Cintra CEO and the Cintra team
Have a question for our CEO? This is your chance to ask about Cintra’s plans, products, or anything else on your mind.
with our Cintra Solvers
Sit down with your dedicated Cintra Solver for a tailored one-to-one session. Whether you’ve got burning questions, need help navigating features, or want hands-on training, this is your opportunity to get expert guidance and support.
with James Rowell, Founder at Capture Expense
There have been a significant number of updates to our expense management software over the past year. Join us to find out how the software has grown and developed over the past 12 months. Our founder, James Rowell, will be showcasing the exciting updates to our expense software, including AI enhancements, seamless integration with WhatsApp, Teams, and Slack, and new features like ‘Trips’ for better travel management.
with Al Green
Join us for an exclusive look at our integrated HR and payroll solution. Designed to streamline processes and reduce complexity, this innovative platform will help you bring your people and payroll data together like never before. Be among the first to see how it could transform the way you work.
with Miriam Pollard and John Wilson
Join Miriam Pollard and John Wilson from HMRC for a focused session on the support available to help organisations meet their HMRC responsibilities.
They’ll cover how disputed charges arise, how the resolution process works, and what employers can do to prevent problems. This session will also cover the impact of poor data quality, common return errors, the use of Temporary Reference Numbers, and the importance of accurate starter declarations.
A must-attend session for anyone working in payroll, HR, finance, or compliance who wants to reduce errors and improve accuracy across their processes.
2.45pm – 3pm: Break
with Sarah Gray, Head of HR Outsourcing
What are the top 5 challenges currently facing HR professionals? In this session, Sarah Gray will cover key issues affecting employers today and provide practical strategies to navigate them effectively:
· The true cost of managing employees.
· Managing short term absence to prevent long term absence.
· How to capitalise on your recruitment investment.
· How sub-standard performance impacts your bottom line and how you can mitigate this.
· Identifying issues that might end up in an employment tribunal and how you can avoid this happening.
3.30pm: Breakout sessions
with Eric Dunmore, Cintra CEO and the Cintra team
Have a question for our CEO? This is your chance to ask about Cintra’s plans, products, or anything else on your mind.
Exclusive to clients in the education sector. Our payroll education experts will be on hand to answer any questions you have.
In this session, our Product Manager, Mark Faulkner will show you what’s new in Cintra’s live reporting suite. You’ll learn how to turn payroll from a reactive, administrative task into a proactive, insight-driven function—freeing up your team to focus on adding real value to your business.
with Gary Davies, HMRC
Join HMRC for a practical session on how to stay on the right side of National Minimum Wage (NMW) rules. Get clear on enforcement actions, including penalties and the risk of being publicly named for non-compliance.
Gary will cover key problem areas such as what counts as pay, working time, unlawful deductions, and how salary sacrifice arrangements can affect National Minimum Wage. You’ll also find out how to correct mistakes without triggering fines or reputational damage.
Sit down with your dedicated Cintra Solver for a tailored one-to-one session. Whether you’ve got burning questions, need help navigating features, or want hands-on training, this is your opportunity to get expert guidance and support.
9.45am – 10am: Registration
with Seb Aspland, Cintra CTO
At our 2024 Cintra Conference, Seb talked about how AI and robotics were transforming the payroll industry. 12 months later, he’ll explore how AI is continuing to transform finance and payroll.
with Matthew Syed, Keynote Speech
Matthew Syed, a renowned author, speaker, and expert on performance and mindset, will give a talk on The Power of a Growth Mindset. In a world which is changing quickly, adaptability and innovation are essential for survival and growth. Successful individuals and institutions embrace a growth mindset, understanding that progress comes from continuous learning and the willingness to confront weaknesses.
Matthew will use compelling examples from healthcare, aviation, business, education, sport, and the criminal justice system to demonstrate how implementing a growth culture can transform performance. By showcasing real-world applications, he will highlight the profound impact this mindset can have, not only on individual growth but also on organizational success.
11.30am – 11.45am: Break
with John Mark Williams, CEO of Leadership Institute
12.15pm – 1pm: Breakout sessions:
with Stephen Pearson, Head of IT
Hear directly from our Head of IT as he explains the processes and systems Cintra have in place to keep your data secure.
with Sarah Gray, Head of HR Outsourcing
What can an audit tell you and how to use these to best effect? Auditing helps ensure compliance, efficiency and alignment with company goals.
In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into a few key audits, what to include and what they tell you. We’ll cover:
· Compliance
· Policy and procedures
· Compensation and Benefits
· Performance Management
· Employee relations
· Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
with the Cintra product team
In this session, our Cintra Solver, James Martens will show how Cintra Cloud makes reviewing your payroll quicker than ever before. He’ll dive deep into the Payroll Analysis Summary (PAS) report, showing you how to easily track changes, validate totals, and drill down into key figures—all without juggling multiple spreadsheets. Whether you’re reviewing payroll for accuracy or reconciling data, this session will give you practical ways to save time and improve confidence in your payroll processes.
with Keith Fenney and Sam Sawden, Teachers’ Pensions.
Learn about the essential requirements under the Teachers Pension Scheme regulations, including service returns, contributions, and how members are supported. We’ll break down key requirements to help you fully navigate the scheme with confidence. There will be plenty of time for a full Q&A for all attendees.
Sit down with your dedicated Cintra Solver for a tailored one-to-one session. Whether you’ve got burning questions, need help navigating features, or want hands-on training, this is your opportunity to get expert guidance and support.
1pm – 1.45pm: Lunch
with Richard George, The Payroll Centre
2.15pm – 2.45pm: Breakout sessions
with Andrew Thompson, Head of Support
with Sarah Gray, Head of HR Outsourcing
Learn how to evaluate and improve your HR functions including and understand:
· The role of HR Administration
· Measuring HR effectiveness
· HR Technology and automation
· Employee experience and engagement
· Strategies for strengthening HR administration
with James Rowell, Capture Expense founder
Come along and see how Capture Expense is using AI to build something completely unique in the expense market. With integrations for Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and Slack, you can interact with the software directly within the apps you already use.
Sit down with your dedicated Cintra Solver for a tailored one-to-one session. Whether you’ve got burning questions, need help navigating features, or want hands-on training, this is your opportunity to get expert guidance and support.
with Eric Dunmore, Cintra CEO
For the final session of the day, Eric Dunmore will explore the current trends driving the payroll market.
Who is going to be there?
Meet the Speakers
Seb Aspland
Cintra Chief Technology Officer
Sarah Gray
Cintra Head of Outsourced HR
James Rowell
Capture Expense, Founder
More speakers and full agenda to be announced soon
We can’t wait to see you there!
Register online now to save your space
If you have any questions or are looking for more information about the conference, contact marketing@cintra.co.uk.
Where to stay
Take full advantage of all the conference has to offer with our exclusive Cintra package at the Crowne Plaza.
If attending by car:
The Crowne Plaza Newcastle is situated next to the Stephenson Quarter Car Park, where the hotel can be accessed from level 10.
If attending by train:
A 7-minute walk from Central Station with direct links to all major UK cities and Newcastle International Airport.