BARC Consulting Summit 2027

Where will your consulting business create value and growth in tomorrow’s market?

January 27, 2027 | Hotel Rebstock Würzburg

AI is reducing the billable effort in work that used to carry your margins. Clients are renegotiating how they buy consulting, and acquisitions continue to bring new competitors into the market.

Demand is not the problem. In BARC’s research on the DACH data and analytics services market, 70% of organizations expect their need for external data and AI consulting to grow. The harder question is which services that budget will fund, because the list is not the same as two years ago.

The BARC Consulting Summit takes on that question. It returns for its second year, following its premiere in January 2026, with the group kept at around 40 senior leaders: an informal welcome dinner, then one focused day with current BARC market data, direct access to our analysts, and open discussion with peers facing the same decisions.

What Will You Take Away From the Summit?

A realistic view of the market

Get early access to “Trends & Developments for Data & Analytics Services”, BARC’s forthcoming study of more than 500 providers in the DACH region. Use the data to challenge your assumptions about the market.

What clients expect

More than 970 users rated over 100 providers in the BARC Data & Analytics Service Provider Survey 2026. The findings show what clients value and where providers need to improve.

Candid peer discussion

With around 40 participants, the Summit leaves time for candid conversations about market shifts, business models, and lessons from client work.

An honest conversation about AI and margins

At the 2026 Summit, 16 of 19 firms named AI-driven demand as their biggest opportunity. We will discuss which delivery models and new services can support acceptable margins.

Time with BARC analysts

Meet the BARC analysts behind the research and put your questions to them directly. The welcome dinner and breaks leave time for one-on-one conversations.

What We Will Discuss in 2027

Which consulting services can AI already handle?
How are roles, rates, and margins changing?
Which new services around AI, data management, and governance are clients buying?
What do current market data and M&A activity tell us about the DACH market?
How do clients choose a consulting partner?
How can firms show real expertise when most marketing claims sound the same?
Which business models can create recurring revenue beyond project work?

Who the BARC Consulting Summit Is For

CEOs and owners of consulting firms

Senior leaders at IT service providers and systems integrators with focus on Data & Analytics

Executives responsible for strategy, portfolio, sales, or business development

Leaders of data, analytics, and AI practices

What Does the Day Look Like?

The Summit itself runs for a single day, preceded by an informal dinner the evening before.

Welcome Dinner
The Summit

Tuesday, January 26, 2027

The Summit begins with dinner in Würzburg. The evening is reserved for meeting the group and starting the conversation. There are no formal sessions that night.

Wednesday, January 27, 2027

The main program runs from roughly 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BARC analysts will present market data and customer findings, followed by discussion with the group.

Registration and Pricing

Dinner on January 26
The full program and meals on January 27
BARC’s newest research findings
Direct conversations with BARC analysts
Discussion with other senior leaders in the market

Travel and accommodations are not included.

1.900

per person

Your Hosts

Dr. Carsten Bange

Founder & CEO BARC

As founder and CEO, Dr. Carsten Bange has built BARC into Europe’s leading market analysis and consulting firm for data & analytics over the past 25 years. With his team of 50 people, he helps companies make the strategic, organizational and technological decisions that ensure their successful transformation into data- and analytics-driven organizations.

Dr. Bange is considered one of the leading experts on the technology market and the beneficial use of data & analytics, which makes him a sought-after speaker, author and consultant for companies, software vendors and service providers as well as investors.

Larissa Baier

Senior Analyst Data & Analytics

Larissa Baier is a Senior Analyst in the Data & Analytics field, combining expertise in consulting projects and research. She supports end customers with strategic questions regarding BI and analytics front ends, including architectural design, usage scenarios, and software selection.

Her focus lies on BI and analytics front ends for dashboards, reporting, analysis, planning, self-service analytics as well as GenAI Copilots. A particular area of expertise lies in assisting SAP customers in deriving added value from their data.

Stefan Sexl

Senior Analyst Data & AI

Stefan Sexl is a BARC Fellow specializing in CPM, BI and reporting. With 30 years of industry experience with leading vendors such as MIS AG, pmOne and Tagetik, he advises vendors on marketing, sales and product strategy as well as end customers on the selection and implementation of solutions.

He has a particular focus on the market for CPM and group accounting solutions including planning, consolidation, ESG, account reconciliation and other components.

About BARC

BARC is an independent analyst firm for data, analytics, and AI.

Independent and neutral

We do not sell software and take no commissions for recommendations.

Research-driven

Every finding comes from our own surveys, market studies, and product evaluations.

Expert analysts

More than 25 years of studying technology markets, providers, and user requirements.

Built for decision makers

We work with the leaders who set data and AI strategy, on both the client and the provider side.

At the Consulting Summit, we put this evidence next to the experience of the people working in the market. That keeps the discussion grounded in real business conditions, not broad trend predictions.

Take Your Seat at the BARC Consulting Summit 2027

Meet BARC analysts and senior leaders from the data and AI services market in Würzburg on January 27, 2027