The Web Summit 2019 is officially open. The event is an annual technology conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, considered one of the largest technology conferences in the world, featuring the biggest names in tech, business and politics.

Unlike the international Davos and APEC events, here, the dress code is more casual, with attendees wearing jeans and sneakers. It's also a more diverse event as three out of four panels are women-only.

The organization brings together web professionals from 160 countries, more than 2,000 journalists and 70,000  attendees, one colossal conference. These people are deeply embedded in the fabric of their respective industries and are the people who dictate how quickly new technologies are adopted.

As Europe's largest technology conference, the event has attracted a who's who of the technology community, including Guo Ping, the rotating chairman of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Edward Snowden, musicians and every technology executive in between.

The conference's topics center on internet technology, emerging technologies, and venture capitalism.

CGTN will speak to Portuguese economy minister Vieira, whose portfolio of the economy has just been widened to include digital transition. All this comes against a background of global social unrest and push for change.

This year's Web Summit takes place from November 4 to November 7 in Lisbon, Portugal, the "Silicon Valley" of their region. It is a 10-year-deal with Lisbon, attracting more tech companies and more investment.