Vikas Hazrati , who is an active figure in Agile community in india, has come up with his thoughts on the effectiveness of seminars and webinars conducted to create Agile awareness. Please read his views at http://vikashazrati.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/spreading-agile-awareness/

Here is my point of view:
I agree with Vikas's thoughts. Whatever awareness we can create by conducting seminars and workshops would reach mostly to “decision followers” and to some extent to “decision influencers”.

But situation is not as bad. “Decision makers” are well aware with the fact that Agile is need of the hour. These days’ Venture capital firms are hesitant to invest in firms not using agile development. Decision makes are facing this fundamental change and are working towards that.

Agile is a revolution (revolution?) and mass public has to play a significant role for the success of it. A grassroots movement, motivated by these seminars and workshops, is required to increase the agile awareness level. I believe that not more than 20% of software world is aware of agile methodology at present.

As it happens with every good change, people first embrace the easiest part of it. The organizations (which started to follow agile) have gone through the agile methodology and started using it in parts. Therefore they do struggle and not able to see the real value behind it.

These seminars and workshops would ensure that the grass root level is very much aware of Agile methodology and would help in embracing methodology in its full form.

On using word revolution:
For me Agile is a revolution against those practices or rules which ensured that companies deliver what is written in requirement specification document but rarely delivered what customer actually wanted.