Jack Ma, Trudeau speak at Alibaba's Gateway'17 Canada event in Toronto

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (central) and Jack Ma (right), executive chairman and founder of the Alibaba Group, attend the Alibaba Group's Gateway'17 Canada conference in Toronto on Sept 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Jack Ma, executive chairman and founder of the Alibaba Group, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered key speeches at the conference, which was attended by more than 3,600 people, at the Toronto Exhibition Place.

The event, along with a trade show, attracted a variety of organizations and businesses, covering such sectors as manufacturing, retail, professional services, agribusiness, and travel and tourism.

Data showed 68 percent of the participants were from small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

The one-day conference featured presentations and breakout sessions aimed at educating enterprises about what and how to sell to China, especially through e-commerce platforms.

For example, people learned about how Alibaba's online travel marketplace and payment solutions can help Canadian businesses serve the rapidly expanding outbound Chinese travel and tourism market.