Here are a couple of photos of the "kit" that one of the openers is using on this short tour I am on. Very simple but effective. He packs all the pieces parts inside the suitcase. The dowels come off of course.

Great old suitcase, wondering how those holes were made. Looks like they have large grommets. Any idea how that was done?

It was my understanding that this is actually a commercially available piece of gear. It looks extremely home made, but that was what I was told. I think you could putz about with some grommets and a piece of luan to practice. There are lots of options available. Look at some interior design locations as large grommets are now all the rage in curtains. You might be able to snap them in. If not, some silicon adhesive would probably do the trick.