The 2016 Computing Conference opens in Hangzhou on Oct 13. [Photo by Wei Zhiyang]

Programmers, IT buffs, and tech whizzes arrived in Yunqi Cloud Town in Hangzhou on Oct 13, as the Zhejiang province capital opened its seventh annual Computing Conference.

This large scale event provides an early blueprint for which way the industry is set to head in the future. Cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence are expected to be big draw cards at this year's conference.

Organized by Hangzhou municipal government and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, the four-day event is expected to welcome more than 40,000 attendees. It has grown to become the biggest conference of its kind focused on science and technology at home and abroad.

Hangzhou's Computing Conference is a platform for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and to realize their dreams with help of the latest technology.

The most advanced scientific and technological equipment will be on show at the conference, including Internet-enabled cars and augmented reality technology.

More than 92 forums and 450 speeches on themes including media, politics, safety, virtual reality, and Internet of Things will be held during the conference.

A Yunqi music festival, combined with the latest technologies will be staged, as well as TechGo, a night running activity.

The festival will be broadcast live to the world on the official website (yunqi.aliyun.com) as well as video streaming sites, such as Youku.

More than 40,000 guests from across the world are expected to attend the Computing Conference. [Photo by Wei Zhiyang]