KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — The Malaysia Retail and Franchise (MIRF) exhibition 2018 is expected to rake in sales of RM70 million, said organising chairman Raymond Woo.

He said the event from 26 to 28 July in KL Convention Centre had attracted 300 exhibitors from 13 countries, a 20 per cent increase in exhibitors compared to last year.

"This year, the exhibition will be centred around digitalisation which focuses on technology such as Artificial Intelligence, e-wallet payment and machine learning,” Woo told a press conference.

Organised by the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), this year’s exhibition is themed ‘Platform for Growth’ and aims to provide a platform for local and international exhibitors to interact and explore business matching.

MRCA president Datuk Seri Garry Chua said: "We have partnered with the industries best players and we are hoping that this year’s exhibition will result in entrepreneurial success in the future.

"We hope that this platform will promote industrial growth in line with the technological breakthrough that we are promoting for all the entrepreneurs involved.”

This is the third year that the event is held.