I've never been to a gaming con before, and I'm so excited for Paizocon to be our first gaming con. I know other cons have miniature painting related activities...does Paizocon typically?
I've run a minis-painting workshop every PaizoCon since #2, and did a terrain and minis-assembly workshop for at least one of them. And we normally have an informal "bring your spare minis and swap for stuff you want" session toward the end of the con.
Our friends at Reaper will also be running their "paint-and-take," where they supply a mini and painting supplies, along with some guidance to help you improve your painting skills.