I start by creating a new RGB document in illustrator. I then open up the swatches toolbox and open up the Pantone Solid to Coated palette and select the colors I need to design with. Do work, save design as a .pdf with a setting of "High Quality Print". Open file in Versaworks, assign media profile, and hit Print. Make sure your versaworks settings for color management have Adobe RGB 1998 as your default input profile, which is what you should be saving with from Illy. It's pretty darn easy once you get it figured out.... Not all pantone colors are within your printers color gamut.
-Keith